Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday called to speed up the process to admit Ukraine into the European Union.
Addressing a bilateral conference in Rome on Ukraine's reconstruction, Meloni said the most intelligent way to thank Ukrainians for their efforts in reforming the country while fighting against Russia is to accelerate the possibility for them to join the 27-member bloc.
"We must acknowledge the enormous efforts Kyiv is making, even during the war, to reform its system and bring it closer to the targets requested by the [EU] Commission," she said. "It's fundamental to acknowledge this effort by accelerating and kickstarting sooner the negotiations for its entry into the EU."
Ukraine applied for EU membership less than a week after Russia's war on the country on Feb. 24 last year. It was granted candidate status in June, setting in motion an integration process that could take many years.
The delegates discussed ways in which Italian companies, in partnership with international governments, organizations and Ukrainian companies, could participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ukrainian leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to delegates via video link, urged companies to start investing as soon as possible in sectors ranging from infrastructure, technology, health as well as agriculture.
"Reconstruction begins now. We are united in the defense and we are united in the reconstruction," said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
The World Bank in March estimated that more than $400 billion will be needed over the next 10 years to rebuild key infrastructure, manufacturing sites and other vital buildings destroyed due to the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials identified energy, construction, technology, agriculture, defense, pharmaceuticals, and demining as priority sectors which need urgent attention.
Italian officials, meanwhile, said a number of preliminary business partnership agreements were reached, paving the way for direct investments in the coming months.
