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".
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