Italy will organize a conference involving its own business companies on Ukraine’s reconstruction in April this year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni said.
“We talked today about the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and about the Fast Recovery Plan, that is, the reconstruction now … In Italy a conference will be organized about the reconstruction in April of this year. We will work on its organization. Italian companies have the know-how and the competence to provide, because Italy wants to play a significant role in the reconstruction of Ukraine – starting now,” Meloni said at a press conference with the President of Ukraine in Kyiv.
She stressed that Italy can do a lot in this context because it has tremendous experience in many strategic areas like infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, food, etc.
“Our know-how will be able to give an opportunity and the right signal: what was destroyed will be restored,” said the Italian prime minister.
In addition, she said, holding the international exhibition Expo 2030 in Odessa, where Ukraine has applied, would be a special signal to Europe, namely: “Belief that everything will be fine in Ukraine.”
Also, as Meloni noted, Italy already provides support and assistance to Ukraine in the field of protection of cultural heritage.
France and Italy have agreed to supply Ukraine with a SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile system, the French TV channel BFM-TV reported.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecorniou, during a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Guido Crozetto on Friday, agreed on the final details of this delivery.
It is indicated that the air defense system will be delivered in the spring of 2023.
The French media note that this is the first delivery of a European long-range air defense system to Ukraine.
Two dry cargo ships with more than 45,000 tons of wheat and corn left Ukrainian ports on Friday, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reported.
“On January 5, two ships left Ukrainian ports, they are transporting a total of 45.3 thousand tons of grain and other food within the framework of the Black Sea grain initiative,” the report said.
Dry-cargo vessels Lady Divina (18.3 thousand tons of wheat) and Med Island (27 thousand tons of corn) had left to Italy.
Six dry cargo ships, which passed through the humanitarian corridor on January 6, are also on their way to the ports.
“As of January 6, the total tonnage of grain and other agricultural products exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 16,832,561 tons. A total of 1,250 vessels were allowed to move so far: 622 to arrive at Ukrainian ports and 628 to leave them,” the JCC summarized.
Three dry cargo ships carrying corn and sunflower seeds left Ukrainian ports on Friday, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reported.
“Three ships left Ukrainian ports on December 2, carrying a total of 106,500 tons of grain and other agricultural products under the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” the report said.
Vessel Aspasia Luck is transporting 63 thousand tons of corn to China, Sea Inspiration is delivering 26.5 thousand tons of corn to Italy. Lady Perla dry-cargo carrier will carry 17 thousand tons of sunflower seeds to Bulgaria.
Three vessels, which passed through the sea humanitarian corridor on December 2, are also on their way to Ukrainian ports.
“As of December 2, the total tonnage of grain and other agricultural products exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 12,713,836 tons. A total of 1,031 vessels have been allowed to move so far: 515 to arrive at Ukrainian ports and 516 to leave them,” the report said.
Italy plans to introduce 26% tax on profit from cryptocurrencies. The government will charge tax if the profit exceeds 2 thousand euros.
Taxpayers have already received letters demanding to indicate the value of their crypto-assets as of January 1, 2023 in the declaration and pay a tax of 14%.
Italy has handed over more than 20 155-mm M109L self-propelled artillery mounts to the Ukrainian army, La Repubblica reports.
“These are armored tracked vehicles with a 155 mm cannon using NATO ammunition. In the last years of the Cold War, Italy produced hundreds of such installations, upgrading the original American model, then they were withdrawn from service at the beginning of the millennium,” the message says.
It notes that these installations will undergo a major overhaul, and then go straight to the front line.
Journalists report that the Ukrainian army will receive from twenty to thirty self-propelled guns, “although the exact number remains top secret.”
The publication adds that these self-propelled guns are part of the latest military aid package, which was agreed by the previous Italian government, Mario Draghi.
