In the meeting between the Italian President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni, and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, which took place in Kyiv on 21 February 2023, the two Leaders agreed that Italy would play a key role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Italy is ready to contribute significantly to the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform, which includes Ukraine, the G7, IFIs, and other key partners, by utilizing the expertise of its companies in crucial sectors. Italy will also ensure transparency, inclusivity, and a reform-oriented process.
Ukraine acknowledged Italy’s significant contribution to the reconstruction and fast recovery of the country.
On 26 April 2023, Italy and Ukraine co-organized an Italy-Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Rome to discuss the types of support and collaboration that can be developed regarding the resilience and reconstruction of Ukraine and committed to coordinate closely on these matters by intensifying bilateral cooperation.
This Conference sends a strong message of the cooperation between Ukrainian and Italian business in terms of new economic reality and readiness of jointly operating in the framework of sanctions effectivness to ensure economic stability and prosperity of both Countries.
As a concrete result of the Conference, Italy, and Ukraine concluded the following Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs):
- MOU between ICE-Agenzia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- MOU between the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and the Ukrainian Ministry for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources on cooperation in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection;
- MOU between the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine on Technical Cooperation in the Industrial Field;
- Memorandum of Understanding and cooperation on the Italian Agrifood Model for the Reconstruction and the Food Security of Ukraine between Ukrainian Agri Council Public Union and Filiera Italiana, Coldiretti.
Italy and Ukraine also noted the imminent signature of the following agreements between local authorities of the two Nations:
- MOU between Region Emilia Romagna – Regional Council of Kharkiv;
- MOU between Region Toscana – Regional Council of Kyiv.
Under the oversight of the Italian and the Ukrainian governments, several Italian and Ukrainian companies signed MOUs:
- MOU between Mer Mec S.p.A. and JSC Ukrainian Railways on Diagnostic Technologies & Services for Jsc“Ukrainian Railways”.
- MOU between We Build and Ukrhydroenergo Energy Company for collaboration in the construction of hydropower stations in Ukraine (signed by parties on 25.04.2023).
Italy will provide support to Ukraine in coping with the urgent humanitarian needs generated by Russia’s war of aggression, in fast rebuilding destroyed critical and social infrastructure and livelihoods, and in setting the best possible conditions for the reconstruction of the socio-economic fabric of the country. To that end, Italy is considering:
- Further grants and soft loan funds from the Italian Cooperation for humanitarian needs and resilience/fast recovery projects, for an amount of 160 Million euros for 2023 in parallel with the establishment of the Italian Cooperation Agency office in Kyiv.
- The Ministry of Economy and Finance will contribute to the BEI FUND “EU for Ukraine “ with a 100 milion Euro guarantee.
- Drawing upon the collaboration established with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and the Ukrainian Ministry for environmental protection and natural resources in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection and taking into consideration all its available climate finance instruments Italy will support Ukraine green transition and help Kyiv achieving the targets established by the international agreements on climate and environmental protection of which Italy is a signatory party. Italy will utilize all its available climate finance instruments to accomplish this goal.
- Additionally, equipment donations from Italian energy companies to improve and rebuild the resilience of Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructures will be mobilized through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the Protezione Civile italiana.
The Italian Cooperation also finalized:
- The contribution agreement with EBRD for the emergency allocation of 10 Million Euro in support of Ukraine’s fast energy recovery and security for the support of the Ukrainian company Ukrenergo.
The Italian Ministry of Culture will activate collaborations in the following fields:
- Advanced 3D Modelling of Churches in Kyiv (Church of the Saviour at Berestove; Church of All Saints) for digital documentation in case of damages;
- Support by the Italian “Carabinieri Command for the protection of cultural heritage” in the search for stolen cultural goods;
- The two Governments acknowledge the contribution made by the European Competence Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, coordinated by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, in saving the digital documentation of Ukrainian cultural heritage, by transferring relevant datasets in EU servers.
- Assorestauro, the association of Italian companies in the field of restauration and conservation of cultural heritage, stand ready to provide their expertise and services to the Ukrainian government.
The Italian Ministry of Health will assist the Superhumans Center:
- by making available, under the coordination of the Ministry itself, the solid expertise of Italian Centers of excellence in the fields of prosthetics, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation, like the Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCSS) Rizzoli, the Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCSS), the Pediatric Hospital Bambin Gesù and the Budrio INAIL Prosthesis Center.
- implementing under the coordination of the ISS a program of Telemedicine for Ukrainian People in the region of Lviv.
ICE-Agenzia will allow:
- Free space/decoration for Ukraine Pavillon in six major Italian exhibition events: Salone del Mobile, Cersaie (construction material), Cosmoprof (cosmetics), Eima (agritech), Tuttofood/Cibus, Marmomac.
- Free access to the Italian Trade Promotion Agency export platform “365” and its collaboration with the Ukrainian export promotion platform “Nazovni”.
SIMEST, jointly as manager of public funds and by its own funds, will encourage Export and Foreign Direct Investments of Italian companies willing to support the Reconstruction of Ukraine, through dedicated financial instruments, such as:
- Export credit support, to boost the export of capital goods and services in Ukraine – also functional to the implementation of wider investments in the country – through the offering of medium – long term delayed payments and more beneficial interest rates contribution.
- Subsidized finance at more favorable conditions to strengthen the balance sheet of the Italian supply chain of companies willing to invest in Ukraine;
- Direct investments in Joint Venture and in foreign subsidiaries of Italian companies constituted in Ukraine for the implementation of projects or willing to set up new production units in the country.
SACE stands ready to:
- relaunchits activity in Ukraine within an international financial support framework aimed at favouring the implementation of strategic projects, including utilities, infrastructures and energy;
- resume operations interrupted in 2022 due to conflict (for a global amount of about 500 million Euro) and support new operations, mainly in the health andinfrastructure sectors, for a total amount of about 1 billion Euro.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti will ensure its support to the reconstruction of Ukraine:
- as manager of Italian public funds and European guarantees available for development finance purpose;
- by contributing to the promotion of coordinated initiatives at European and international level jointly with other financial institutions and multilateral development banks.
Italy and Ukraine agreed upon the Organization of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Italy.
