Zilli: Regions strategic contribution for Ukraine reconstruction

“In view of the International Conference for the Recovery of Ukraine to be held in Rome next July, the role of the Regions and local authorities is increasingly emerging as a strategic element. The reconstruction of Ukraine must be a shared, multi-level process rooted in the territories, capable of promoting not only infrastructural reconstruction, but also social cohesion, sustainability and growth. For this reason, the experiences and good practices of local authorities and communities will be decidedly strategic”.

The Regional Councillor for Finance of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Barbara Zilli, participated in the event “On the Road to Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 Local and Regional Dimension”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in preparation for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 to be held in Rome on 10 and 11 July 2025. The event organized in Verona, which also saw the participation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, the Ukrainian Minister for Recovery and Development of Communities and Territories Oleksij Kuleba and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, allows for the sharing of experiences and skills of Italian, Ukrainian and international local authorities to develop successful reconstruction strategies, also through the launch of new partnerships, for the agenda of the July Conference on Ukraine Recovery. Zilli took part, in particular, in the session dedicated to “Strengthening services to citizens: the role of the private sector”. During the works, emerging opportunities were explored in a series of sectors, such as the provision of public services, social infrastructure and transport, capable of attracting investments and ensuring the best services for citizens. On the sidelines of the works, the councilor met with the governor of the Odessa Region Oleg Kiper, to seal the collaboration that is already in the pipeline and on the possibilities of development of the Ukrainian territories thanks to institutional friendship and the ability of our port system and our companies to seize the opportunities that are being built. "We are working - announced Zilli - with the Odessa Region to be able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, which will be signed in the coming months by the governor Massimiliano Fedriga, to build a stable bridge between Friuli Venezia Giulia and the reborn Ukraine, promoting commercial, economic, technical, scientific and cultural cooperation".

“In Friuli Venezia Giulia,” explained the councilor in his speech, “we have built a virtuous ecosystem that closely links the public and private sectors in the provision of services to citizens. From healthcare to professional training, from digital infrastructures to intelligent transport, the involvement of the private sector has been a fundamental lever to ensure efficiency, innovation and economic sustainability.” “In two sectors in particular,” observed Zilli, “public-private partnerships represent experiences with successful results. In logistics and ports, the port of Trieste-Monfalcone is today the first Italian railway port with a strong focus on sustainability also from an environmental point of view.”