During the mission to Kiev of Italy’s Special Envoy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Davide La Cecilia, the signing ceremony of the agreement between Italy and UNESCO – allocating a financial contribution of 500,000 euro, issued by the Italian Cooperation, for the construction of a first roof covering for the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odesa, a monument seriously damaged by Russian bombing on 23 July – was held. It is an important intervention designed to protect one of the buildings that symbolises the city’s cultural and religious history.
“Italy, with its institutions and production system, is strongly committed to supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine”, said Ambassador Pier Francesco Zazo. “As also recalled by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, Italy possesses an extraordinary expertise with regard to the protection and preservation of international cultural and urban heritage” added the Ambassador.
“Our project stems from the desire to involve – building on a proposal by the Triennale di Milano and the MAXXI Museum in Rome currently being pursued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Culture – creative designers, international cultural institutions, Italian companies and economic entities for an urban and architectural regeneration of Ukrainian cities, starting with Odesa, which is under Italian patronage, in a logic of green, digital and sustainable transformation”, stressed Special Envoy La Cecilia.
The agreement was signed by Italian Ambassador Pier Francesco Zazo and the Head of UNESCO Desk in Ukraine Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi in the presence of Special Envoy Davide La Cecilia and the Head of the regional office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Kiev, Pietro Pipi.
