>>>ANSA/Italy out to aid Ukraine 'economic miracle' - Meloni

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 26 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday that Italy "can contribute to bringing about a Ukrainian economic miracle" as she spoke at a bilateral conference in Rome on the country's reconstruction.
    She drew a parallel with the economic boom Italy had after World War II in her address at the conference, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated via video link.
    Meloni said that she hoped to see Zelensky in Italy soon, adding that Italy wants to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025.
    "It's our job to help Ukraine to write a new chapter in its history," she told the conference, which over 600 Italian firms are taking part in..
    "Italy has the necessary credentials to be a lead player, not just because of the determination and credibility with which it made its decisions (after Russia's invasion) without ever hesitating, but also because it will be the G7 duty president in 2024.
    "It has been a lead player of the major decisions made in recent years and it is bidding to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025, which will be a much bigger conference than this, to show our intention to continue".
    Meloni also called for the process to admit Ukraine to the European Union to be sped up.
    "The future of Ukraine must be (characterized by) increasingly greater capacity to be integrated into European dynamics and institutions," she said. "The most intelligent way to thank the Ukrainians for what they are doing is to accelerate the possibility for them to be part of the European institutions.
    "It is necessary to recognise the enormous efforts made by Kyiv, even during the war, to reform its system and approach the targets requested by the European Commission.
    "It is fundamentally important to acknowledge that effort, opening EU adhesion negotiations rapidly".
    Meloni added that she was "sure that the future of Ukraine will be one of peace, prosperity and ever more European.
    "Investing in the reconstruction of Ukraine is not risky venture, it is one of the best-targetted and far.-sighted investments that can be made at the moment," she concluded.
    "The Ukrainian people are fighting for us as well, fighting does not bring the conflict closer but (rather it) pushes away a possible conflict near us".
    Zelensky expressed special thanks to Meloni.
    "We are together in our desire for freedom, security, and well-being for our parents, our children, our cities," Zelensky said, stressing that his country could replace Russian as the supplier of a wide rage or raw materials.
    "Dear Italy. Thank you for having organized this conference to support and reconstruct Ukraine.
    "Ukraine will not surrender its territory to the enemy.
    "Even if hundreds of our villages have been burned down by missile attacks, we are ready to bring them back to life.
    "We want to reconstruct with modern standards so that our people can live like millions of others, in security, so that every father and every mother can be sure that no terrorist organization can hit their children.
    "And we invite your companies to construct this future for all".
    Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who led the Ukrainian delegation in Rome and met President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday, said Rome and Kyiv "have reached a new level of partnership.
    "The reconstruction starts now," he said.
    "We are united in the defence (of Ukraine) and we are united in the reconstruction". (ANSA).