Italy on Tuesday underlined its backing for European Union candidate Ukraine against Russia's five-month-old military offensive and its post-war reconstruction.
“We are here to confirm our political, military and financial support for Ukraine and its people, for its territorial integrity and sovereignty, for its independence and freedom, for its resistance and, clearly, for its reconstruction,” foreign undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova told a conference in Switzerland.
Italy is ready to work with Ukraine's government and its partners to implement the country's ambitious recovery plan," Della Vedova told Ukraine's premier, Denys Shmyhal, who is also attending the Lugano meeting on rebuilding the war-wracked country.
"We have strongly advocated the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine and we will continue to support it, to make sure that this path be firmly based on the principles of transparency and accountability while being consistent with the reform process we have been working on together since 2014," Della Vedova stated.
Swizz president Ignazio Cassis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and representatives of 36 countries and 13 international organisations are also attending the Lugano conference.
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