Putin accepts Israeli PM’s invitation to come to Israel for unveiling of monument to victims of Siege of Leningrad

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s invitation to come to Jerusalem for the opening of the monument to the victims of the Siege of Leningrad. "We will unveil a special monument dedicated to the victims of the Siege of Leningrad and we will be very glad to see you, Mr President, at the unveiling of this monument," Netanyahu addressed the Russian leader. "Thanks, I’ll come," the Russian state leader accepted the invitation. At the beginning of the meeting Netanyahu congratulated the Russian leader and all Russian people on Defender of the Fatherland Day. He highlighted that Israel’s people will never forget the great role that Russia and the Red Army played in their fate. "A few days ago our government decided to allocate special funding to complete the museum to the soldiers-winners of World War II, and <...> most part of this museum is devoted to the Red Army," he noted. Putin noted that to Russia the memory of the people killed in World War II, including in the siege of Leningrad, is sacred. "It is, of course, a tribute to the Israelis - 1.5 million people from the former Soviet Union who not just contributed to Israel’s development, but, I think, they made a considerable contribution to the creation of Israeli statehood," he said, accepting the invitation. The Russian state leader said that today these people act as a bridge between the two states. "We do not just remember about them, but also value the role that they are playing today," Putin concluded. "Of course, Israel is their motherland, but we call them our compatriots as well." In June 2012, the Russian leader took part in the unveiling of the memorial to the Red Army’s victory over fascist Germany in the city of Netanya. Read more