BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to visit Israel early next week, her press office announced Friday.
Chancellor Merkel will head to Tel-Aviv on Monday and she will be accompanied by a high level German delegation, including 14 ministers and two deputy ministers.
During her visit, the German and Israeli governments are scheduled to hold a joint cabinet meeting. The 5th joint meeting of Israeli and German minister will focus on bilateral political, socio-economic and cultural relations and the main topic of this year’s meeting will be “innovation.”
Chancellor Merkel is to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and she will also hold talks with Israel's main opposition leader and chairman of the Labor Party, Isaac Herzog. German Chancellor’s two-day program includes a meeting with representatives of civil society organizations.
Merkel will be awarded the “Presidential Medal of Distinction”, the highest state medal of Israel, during her meeting with President Shimon Peres on Tuesday. The medal will be awarded to Merkel for her “commitment to German-Israeli friendship”, according to the statement by her press office.
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