Italy is interested in cooperating with Ukraine in weapons production, and specific projects are already being developed.
Davyd Aloian, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries (the Ministry of Strategic Industries is currently in the process of merging with the Ministry of Defense), said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“The Italian side has begun actively engaging with us on specific business-to-business cooperation. There are concrete projects, real cases,” he said.
According to Aloian, this is evidenced by the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries and the Italian Ministry of Defense during the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which took place in Rome on July 10-11.
Additional cooperation documents were signed between Ukraine’s Ukroboronprom and Italy’s Industries Federation of Aerospace, Defense and Security (AIAD), as well as between the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry and AIAD, among others.
“We are in ongoing contact with the Italian side and will continue working on ways to align their solutions with Ukraine’s needs,” Aloian said.
In particular, the memorandum signed by the deputy minister outlines the key areas of cooperation. Based on it, a more comprehensive, detailed agreement will be developed, specifying practical steps and addressing specific issues necessary for the implementation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Build With Ukraine initiative.
Aloian recalled that financing for the production of Ukrainian goods for the Ukrainian security and defense forces is a cooperation format first launched by Denmark, followed by collaboration with a number of other countries. Models of support now include the Lithuanian, Dutch, and German approaches, while Norway is currently developing its own model of support for Ukraine’s defense industry and co-financing of joint projects.
Several other countries are also considering joining similar formats of cooperation and support for the Ukrainian defense sector.
According to Aloian, more agreements with international partners are expected to be signed in the near future. Priority will be given to those countries that began supporting Ukraine’s defense industry from the very first days of the full-scale invasion.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s weapons production potential exceeds $35 billion, but is lacking sufficient funding. Several countries are already co-financing weapons production in Ukraine.
Source: Ukraine, Italy to expand cooperation in defense industry – Ministry of Strategic Industries
