Since the beginning of the war, Italy has been fully supporting Ukraine by providing assistance in various sectors. This includes €110 million in budgetary support, €100 million in humanitarian aid, €200 million each in concessional loans to support Ukraine’s development and energy sustainability, €820 million in support of Ukrainian refugees in Italy, and approximately €400 million in macro-financial support. Italy has made a significant contribution to Ukraine and will continue to address Ukraine’s most pressing and urgent needs to strengthen its security capabilities.
Since russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Italy has also approved eight military support packages for Ukraine. In February, the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament approved the government’s decision to continue military assistance to Ukraine through 2024. Our country will be provided not only with weapons, but also with equipment, generators, and everything necessary to support military operations to protect defenseless civilians. The Republic of Italy is also actively involved in military assistance within the EU.
Italy supports Ukraine’s initiative for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The country is already working on many points of the Ukrainian formula for peace, namely food and energy security, and is ready to cooperate with Ukraine to ensure the widest possible international participation in the implementation of the Ukrainian formula for peace.
Official Rome is providing another SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine to bolster its air defense capabilities to repel russian missile attacks. Ukraine received the first SAMP/T system, also known as MAMBA, in 2023. This Franco-Italian battery can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 simultaneously – and it is also the only European-made system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
In addition, Italy continues to contribute to the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) in Ukraine by providing training and educational modules. At the same time, the Italian Armed Forces will conduct ad hoc and specialized exercises on a bilateral basis in close coordination with EUMAM Ukraine and the Security Assistance Group for Ukraine.
The Republic of Italy will also provide training and instructor training for law enforcement agencies such as the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and will continue to provide material assistance to partner agencies in the law enforcement sector. At the same time, Italy will also provide support for medical training and prosthetics.
Last November, five Italian companies joined the defense industry forum that was held in Ukraine earlier. They expressed interest in cooperation in the aviation industry, demining of Ukraine, production of armored vehicles, airspace protection, and exchange of technological innovations. Italy will also reconstruct the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa.
The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Italy has started working in Dnipro. On October 26, 2023, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Ukraine, Mr. Pier Francesco Zazzo, came to the opening ceremony. Among the attendees were representatives of the regional authorities, the newly appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Italy in the city Andrii Zdesenko, as well as consuls from a number of other countries. The Italian Consulate in Dnipro became the second in the country and actually started creating a further network. The consular district covers the entire territory of Dnipro region.
37 city and suburban buses were donated to Ukraine as humanitarian aid by the City Hall of the Italian city of Milan and its municipal transportation company ATM. Of these, 9 vehicles are intended to support the city of Dnipro, while the rest will be distributed among those territorial communities of Ukraine that need this assistance the most. The implementation of this project became possible thanks to the constant personal support and efforts of the Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine Pier Francesca Zazzo and the Honorary Consul of Italy in Dnipro Andrii Zdesenko. Also, with the support of Pier Francesco Zazzo, cooperation between Italian hospitals and Dnipro hospitals is planned.
Italy is one of Ukraine’s main trade and economic partners and the seventh largest destination for Ukrainian exports in the world (after Poland, Romania, China, Turkey, Germany, and Spain). The country remains an important market for agricultural and mining products. For example, the Italian market is important for the Ukrainian steel industry as a consumer of semi-finished products produced by Metinvest Group. Moreover, the company already has its own re-rolling plants, Ferriera Valsider and Metinvest Trametal, and plans to expand its presence in this market.
Italy is an important foreign trade partner of the region, ranking 7th among exporters and 3rd among importers in the EU. According to the results of 2023, the volume of exports of goods from Dnipropetrovska oblast amounted to $177.3 million and increased by 24% compared to 2022. Italian companies are most interested in ferrous metals and products made of them, cereals, fats and vegetable oil, etc.
100 companies in Dnipropetrovsk region exported their products to the Italian market, including mining and metals, agriculture, machine-building, food and processing companies.
Imports of goods from Italy to Dnipropetrovsk region increased by 35.5% compared to 2022 and amounted to $183.5 million.
The 490 importing companies in the region bought pharmaceuticals, ferrous metals, machinery and equipment, essential oils, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, etc.
Import operations were mainly carried out by food and processing companies, trade and pharmaceutical companies.
Source: information for the article was taken from open online sources
