Celebrations on occasion of 79th anniversary of founding of Italian Republic held in Kyiv

On June 2, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine Carlo Formosa held celebrations on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic.

"Today we celebrate the 79th anniversary of the referendum in which the Italian people, after the tragedy of dictatorship and war, chose a republican form of government for our democratic state. We celebrate our country in accordance with this choice, because the freely expressed will of the people directs the course of its history and deserves eternal respect. So let me recall in this context the referendum in which on December 1, 1991, the citizens of Ukraine confirmed the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union, adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament in August of that year, and did so by an overwhelming majority of votes in all regions of Ukraine, including those currently under Russian occupation," the ambassador said during the event.

He noted the extraordinary courage with which the people of Ukraine – the victim of unjust and terrible aggression – continue their difficult struggle not only for the independence and sovereignty gained in 1991, but also in defense of the European and Western values ​​of freedom, pluralism and democracy and the security of our continent.

Formosa said that from the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Italy has supported Ukraine as a responsible member state of the European Union, the Group of Seven and NATO.

"We continue and will continue to provide Ukraine with comprehensive support in the political, economic, military and humanitarian spheres, and we will continue to strictly apply sanctions against Russia. Together with our partners, we are actively working to achieve a just and lasting peace and we hope that all countries of the world will be able to make their constructive contribution to this process," he said.

He also said Italy's efforts to promote Ukraine's integration into the European Union are thorough and continuous, and "we are actively working to ensure that the opening of "clusters" on negotiations for Ukraine's accession becomes possible as soon as possible."

"Italy sincerely believes in the future of Ukraine and intends, including thanks to the high level of Italian entrepreneurship and production, to play a leading role in the country's economic recovery," the ambassador said.

According to him, this intention will be confirmed during the International Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine, which Italy and Ukraine will organize next month in Rome.

The celebrations gathered an unprecedented number of participants and representatives of official circles, which had no analogues in previous similar events.

Starting with the speeches of the highest state officials, the event was attended by numerous representatives of the President's Office, government ministers, and dozens of local government officials from all over Ukraine.

The event was also attended by numerous Italians working in Ukraine and playing an important role in strengthening bilateral relations. The guests had the opportunity to enjoy a performance by the ensemble "Le Muse" which specially arrived from Italy and performed a musical dedication to the unforgettable Maestro Ennio Morricone – accompanied by frames from the most famous films of Italian cinema.