(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Shimon Peres departed on Sunday, July 28, 2013, for a state visit to ‪‎Latvia‬ and ‪‎Lithuania‬, following invitations from the Presidents of the Baltic States.

During the visit, the President will conduct an intensive round of diplomatic meetings with presidents, prime ministers, heads of parliament and senior ministers. In addition, President Peres, along with both Presidents,  will attend Holocaust memorial ceremonies to be held at the edge of the Valley of Death in Ponary, Lithuania and at the Rumbula Forest monument in Lativa.

On his arrival in Latvia, President Peres said: " "I arrived on a state visit to two EU member states. Lithuania is the current president of the European Union, and Latvia will be the President in a year. We will have another round of political talks focused on topics including the addition of Hezbollah to the list of terrorist organizations, the boycott of Israeli products beyond the Green Line, and other important issues.

This is a visit to nations with a history that contains 300 years of hospitality, and on the other hand, the horrific Holocaust that destroyed an entire community. I will say Kaddish full of respect and reverence to the large community of those annihilated. We will remember the past, but we will turn our eyes to the future. I hope that we will find a common language and reach mutual understandings on current issues."