Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani is taking part in a conference in Berlin on Tuesday which is aims to mobilise international business support to rebuild Ukraine after Russia's devastating invasion, now in its third year.
“The Italian government is firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, as is also demonstrated by the large and authoritative presence of our businesses in Berlin," Tajani said in a statement ahead of the two-day conference, which 2000 representatives from politics, business and other spheres are attending.
Italy has put Ukraine post-war reconstruction and recovery at the centre of its Group of Seven (G7) presidency, Tajani underlined.
"We expect concrete results from the Ukraine Recovery Conference and we are ready to take over to organise it in Italy in 2025," Tajani added.
The URC is "the most important annual event to discuss economic support, reforms and the reconstruction of Ukraine," he said.
Italian bilateral aid to Ukraine, net of military assistance and its contribution to the European aid far amounts to over 2 billion euros, Tajani stated.
The URC is being attended by leaders from 77 countries and 500 companies have been invited, of which 150 from Germany, 150 from Ukraine, and 200 from the other participating countries, according to the statement.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel were all due to attend the two-day URC's opening on Tuesday, the statement noted.
The URC is set to close on Wednesday with a handover ceremony to Italy, which deputy foreign minister Edmondo Cirielli in attendance.
Some 40 Italian companies, associations, and institutions with a special focus on Ukraine, including the Italian trade Agency, SACE, SIMEST, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and Confindustria attended a event late on Monday at the embassy in Berlin aimed at laying the ground for next year's URC conference, according to the statement.
