Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
I will try to be brief because I want to show respect to all of you and in particular to my colleagues who have been patiently waiting their turn.
We gather today in Rome not only as friends of Ukraine, but as defenders of the values that bind Europe together. Ukraine’s courageous resistance, now in its fourth year, is not only a fight for national sovereignty, but also for democracy, dignity and freedom.
By coming together to support Ukraine’s recovery, we reaffirm a fundamental conviction: that resilience, when reinforced by solidarity, paves the way for renewal.
Greece stands firmly with the people of Ukraine. Our message is clear and consistent, from the very beginning of this atrocious war: borders cannot be changed by force and aggression must never be rewarded.
We must increase our collective pressure on Russia, with the aim of securing a just ceasefire and, ultimately, a fair and lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its European future.
I commend Italy for hosting this important Conference. Over the past three years, the Ukraine Recovery Conferences have shown what we can achieve when we act together. But the road ahead requires greater coordination and it certainly requires stronger commitment, both in Europe and globally.
Ukraine needs a long-term reconstruction strategy, one that reflects the scale of destruction and the depth of the sacrifice that the Ukrainian people have made. The four focus areas today: business, human capital, regional recovery, and EU integration, are interlinked pillars of this success. Progress in each demands both ownership by Ukraine and cooperation among partners.
Despite the immense hardship the country has to endure, Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable macroeconomic resilience as well as adapting to the demanding prerequisites of the EU accession process.
At the European level, we have been steadfast in our support to Ukraine. The Ukraine Facility remains a vital instrument in the reconstruction effort, it must be backed by the necessary resources and the necessary political will.
However, we know that public funding is not enough. We must bring the private sector fully on board in this reconstruction effort. This means creating the right conditions: mitigating risk, providing guarantees, building strong and transparent institutions that investors can trust.
Only through these synergies between states, institutions and businesses across borders can we lay the foundations for a resilient and prosperous Ukraine.
Greece is particularly focused on southern Ukraine, and especially the city of Odessa, a city which has deep historical ties to my country and is a hub of strategic importance in the Black Sea. Greece is committed to supporting its recovery and future and we see southern Ukraine as a vital link between the Black Sea, South Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
As I recently emphasized in Odessa, we envision a strategic connectivity corridor between the Greek port of Alexandroupoli and the city of Odessa, integrating energy, transport, and trade, a project that serves both Ukraine’s recovery and Europe’s broader energy and economic resilience.
Together with our partners in the region, we are already contributing, helping to advance Ukraine’s energy security through the vital Vertical Corridor, a critical infrastructure project with significant potential.
Greek companies are represented here today, are stepping forward, exploring partnerships in key sectors: from clean and green energy to infrastructure, health services, logistics, maritime transport, and defence.
In all this, our goal is clear: to contribute meaningfully to the rapid, tangible reconstruction of a free, sovereign and democratic Ukraine, as our countries did after the war. My country was ravaged not only by the Second World War but also by a civil war, and we managed to rebuild ourselves, with significant American assistance at the time. And I commend the comments that I heard from the American representative that Europe and the United States will stand hand in hand not only in securing vital peace, but also in building a free and prosperous Ukraine.
Thank you.
