Upon the instruction of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Office of the Head of State, the first round of consultations with the Italian Republic has commenced regarding the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, as stipulated in the G7 Joint Declaration in support of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian negotiating team is led by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Igor Zhovkva.

"Ukraine has already initiated bilateral consultations with all G7 countries, including Italy. Italy is set to lead the 'Group of Seven' next year. We appreciate the significant contribution of our Italian friends to Ukraine's defense and the pursuit of common victory. Italy providing security guarantees to Ukraine will be a crucial step towards the country's closer alignment with EU and NATO membership," emphasized the Deputy Head of the Office of the Head of State.

The negotiators discussed approaches to the content and format of the future bilateral agreement, as well as agreed on the schedule for further communication.