Italy on Wednesday said it aimed to play a major role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and urged European Union bodies to back the rebuilding of a country battered by over a year of war with Russia.
Italy struck the supportive tone at a bilateral summit with Ukraine in Rome convened to discuss reconstruction initiatives, saying private and public capital should contribute along with international institutions and multilateral banks.
"We want to play a leading role not only politically, but also by involving businesses," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said speaking alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Meloni, who took office last October at the helm of a rightist coalition, encouraged Italian companies to contribute to Ukrainian reconstruction, calling it a "far-sighted" investment.
The World Bank, United Nations, European Commission and Ukraine recently estimated it would cost $411 billion to rebuild, a big jump from an earlier estimate of $349 billion.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy would help Kyiv join the EU and insisted Russia should share the burden of the reconstruction.
"Any resolution of the conflict will have to ensure that Russia pays for the damage it has caused," he said.
In a recent visit to the United States, Ukraine's Shmyhal said it was critically important to begin reconstruction this year and Kyiv had identified a priority funding gap of $14 billion needed for 2023.
Rome's Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called on EU institutions to pour their own resources into efforts to help Kyiv and said the European Investment Bank (EIB) would be key.
He added Italy would contribute with a guarantee worth 100 million euros ($110.34 million) to the newly created EIB guarantee fund named 'EU for Ukraine'.
Meloni has stuck closely to the pro-Ukraine policy of her predecessor Mario Draghi, despite scepticism from some of her own coalition partners.
Opinion polls in Italy have consistently shown lukewarm support for Ukraine. One recent IPSOS survey said just 30% of Italians backed sending weapons or air defence systems to Kyiv against 52% in France and 48% in Germany.
($1 = 0.9063 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo Amante and Giuseppe Fonte, Editing by William Maclean)
