The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, yesterday opened the event “Partnerships for Reconstruction: the Road to the Rome Ukraine Reconstruction Conference 2025,” which was attended by Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko. The initiative, hosted at the Embassy of Italy in Washington in collaboration with the Ukrainian Embassy, was dedicated to discussions on key international initiatives in support of Ukraine ahead of the upcoming 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference, to be held in Rome on July 10th and 11th next year. The conference will bring together international leaders, including from the private sector, to coordinate and facilitate the country’s reconstruction after the devastation caused by Russia’s brutal aggression.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Zappia emphasized: “Italy is at the forefront in supporting Ukraine, on a bilateral level, as the G7 Presidency, and in every multilateral forum, defending the values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. With next year’s Reconstruction Conference, we will continue to play a leading role. We will also focus on the preservation of cultural heritage and the reconstruction of historical centers and cities, key aspects of the rebuilding process.”
Following introductory remarks by Ambassador Zappia and Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, a roundtable discussion took place, featuring Ukrainian Finance Minister Marchenko, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Marisa Lago, the Italian Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine Davide La Cecilia, USAID Assistant Administrator Erin McKee, World Bank Vice President Antonella Bassani, and IMF Representative to Ukraine Gavin Gray. Penny Pritzker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, also attended the event.
It was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made so far and to discuss the next steps, with a particular focus on the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform. The importance of reforms, decentralization, and the strategic role of public-private partnerships for Ukraine’s reconstruction was agreed upon.
Framing the event was the inauguration of the exhibition “Washington-Kyiv and Back,” created by Italian photographer Massimo Listri and set up in the Embassy’s atrium. The exhibition highlights the deep connection between Italian art and Ukrainian culture, offering valuable testimony to Ukrainian works inspired by Italian architects (Kyiv University, Mariinskyi Presidential Palace) and buildings that draw inspiration from the Italian Renaissance (Kyiv’s Chocolate House). The exhibition, which will be open until January 31, 2025, consists of sixteen large-format photographs taken after the Russian invasion of 2022. The photographer aims to highlight the fragility of Ukraine’s heritage threatened by war and promote culture as a tool for dialogue and solidarity.
