Telephone conversation between Minister Antonio Tajani and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani today held a first telephone conversation with the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha.

"I assured Sybiha that the Italian Government firmly supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. We will stand by Kiev until a just peace is achieved," said Tajani.

"Support for Ukraine remains central to the agenda of the Italian G7 Presidency. In New York I will chair, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, an informal meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers where the Ukrainian question will also be addressed. Together with Kiev and Washington we are also working on an initiative, involving other international partners, dedicated to the reconstruction of the country's energy infrastructure, also in preparation for winter. I have also invited Minister Sybiha to attend the G7 Ministerial Meeting to be held in Fiuggi next November," added the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Regarding post-conflict reconstruction, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that "Sybiha and I have discussed the organisation of the Ukraine Recovery Conference to be hosted in Rome in 2025. A lot of Italian companies have already expressed interest in participating".

Finally, Tajani reiterated his condemnation of the supply of Iranian weapons to Russia, which could further exacerbate the situation and pose a serious danger to European security as well.