ODESA, FEBRUARY 16th, 2012, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Chairperson of Odesa Regional Council Mykola Pundik says cancellation of the visa regime between Ukraine and Israel has increased attendance of Israel twice, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The official stated today, 16 February, during his meeting with the Minister of Immigrant Absorption of Israel Ms Sofa Landver and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Ukraine Mr Reuven Din El.

“We are very pleased you are visiting Odesa Region. We have a lot to talk about. More than half a million residents of Israel are from Ukraine. The largest number of Jews living in the territory of Ukraine are connected with Odesa and Odesa Region. Our relations are very close. They are not only interstate, diplomatic, and communications, but they are family relations as well. We have a huge number of families and cases when part of the family, for example, lives in Israel, while some members live in Odesa”, said Mr Pundik.

“We are very pleased that our two countries have had diplomatic relations for 20 years. In the past year, the visa regime between the two countries was cancelled. And this has increased the attendance of Israel by Odesa residents twice”, he added.