Polish, Israeli education minister sign declaration on youth meetings

The education ministers of Poland and Israel signed a declaration in Warsaw on Wednesday on meetings between the young people of the two countries.

In mid-June last year, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced the cancellation of educational trips to Poland for high school students. The ministry justified its decision on the grounds that problems had arisen which prevented students from being properly and safely informed while travelling.

Polish Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said the declaration signed on Wednesday reflected a bilateral agreement reached in a spirit of partnership.

"It is an agreement that seems to have finally ended the period of our talks on resuming the visits of young Israelis to Poland and Polish youth to Israel," Czarnek told a press conference.

"We need outstanding relations between Poland and Israel, but relations that are forward-looking and must build our young residents of Poland and Israel," he continued.

Czarnek highlighted that the document contained a provision that "young Israelis, like young Poles, must above all learn about our common culture and the common history of the two nations, which lived in the same place."

Yoav Kisch, the Israeli education minister, said it was very important to the Israelis to educate their young people, and to do that in Poland so they could see the places where Nazi Germany intended to carry out the 'final solution.'