Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, which is today.
During the interview, Tajani first condemned the continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory and confirmed the Italian Government’s full support for the Ukrainian people. Tajani stressed the importance of the Black Sea and the whole Mediterranean for global food security and the continuity of Ukrainian grain exports, confirming Italy’s readiness to cooperate with Kyiv by finding liaison formulas with the MED9+ initiatives for the Strait of Hormuz, emphasising the interconnection between maritime safety, economic stability, energy flows and food security.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining maximum pressure on Moscow, as demonstrated by the participation today of the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in the Coalition of the Willing. Tajani confirmed that the government’s commitment to the security, reconstruction and defence of Ukraine continues, including with the new Italian package in preparation, and in addition to support through EU sanctions.
The discussion also touched on the subject of reconstruction. Italy has so far allocated around EUR 3.2 billion to support the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, partly thanks to the contribution of Italian companies. Finally, Minister Tajani pointed out that this year too, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be illuminated today with the colours of the Ukrainian flag, a sign of Italy’s closeness and solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
