Joint Ukrainian-Italian Communiqué 

on the occasion of the visit of the Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers 

and Minister of Foreign Affairs 

and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic Antonio Tajani

(At Kyiv, October 2, 2023)

On April 26, 2023, a bilateral Ukraine Recovery Conference, jointly organized by Ukraine and Italy, was held in Rome, at which issues relative to the support and cooperation necessary for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine were discussed, as well as the issues of close coordination of these issues through strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The conference has sent a strong message of cooperation between Ukrainian and Italian companies, which indicates their readiness to work together within the framework of sanctions to ensure economic stability and prosperity of both countries.

Proceeding from this, Italy supports Ukraine in addressing the urgent humanitarian needs caused by the Russian military aggression, in the rapid reconstruction of destroyed critical and social infrastructure and the restoration of livelihoods, as well as in creation of the best possible conditions for the restoration of the country's socio-economic structure.

The war has had a significant impact on the diversity and richness of Ukraine's cultural heritage, having damaged the infrastructure and cultural monuments, lowering the standard of living of cultural workers, limiting access to culture, and making it impossible for one to exercise the right to culture. Ukraine's historic cities, along with their cultural heritage, monuments and museums, have suffered severe damage and are still under constant threat. Italy has made an important contribution to the inclusion of the historic center of Odesa in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the List of Cultural Monuments in Danger of Extinction, as well as to the recent inclusion of the historic centers of Kyiv and Lviv in the latter.

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic Antonio Tajani confirmed it to the Government of Ukraine that Italy intends to contribute to the restoration of the Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral and the damaged cultural monuments in the historic center of the city.

During the visit of the President of the Milan Triennale Stefano Boeri and the President of the MAXXI Museum in Rome Alessandro Giuli, who were accompanied by the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo and the Special Envoy for the Recovery of Ukraine from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, Davide La Cecilia, it became clear how the restoration of Odesa can be related to the project called "Laboratory for the Reconstruction of Ukraine", which these two distinguished cultural institutions are to present in Milan on October 31, 2023.

Drawing on the Italian experience and architectural know-how, the capacity of national institutions to facilitate cooperation with EU partners, as well as the prominent place of the Milan Triennale and the MAXXI Museum in the field of architecture, design and urbanism, Italy intends to create a European hub that will contribute to sustainable recovery and deep innovation processes in the cities and regions of Ukraine.

Based on their fruitful cooperation, Ukraine and Italy have agreed that Italy assume patronage over the reconstruction of the city of Odesa and the Odesa region in order to accelerate the process of their recovery from the consequences of the Russian aggression and post-war development to support the private sector, green transition, and good governance, with the focus on cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, maritime industry, transportation, urban planning, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, environment, digitalization, support for youth, culture and tourism.