The Italian side is interested in cooperating with Ukraine in weapons production, and specific projects are already being developed.
Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries Davyd Aloyan shared this in an interview with Ukrinform (the Ministry of Strategic Industries is currently in the process of merging with the Ministry of Defense).
“The Italian side is beginning to actively engage with us on specific business-to-business cooperation. There are concrete projects and specific cases,” he said.
According to Aloyan, this is confirmed by the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Strategic Industries and the Italian Ministry of Defense during the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine held in Rome on July 10–11. Additional agreements were signed between Ukroboronprom and the Italian AIAD Association (which represents Italian companies in the aerospace, defense, and security sectors), as well as between the Ukrainian Gunmakers Council and AIAD, among others.
“We are in constant contact with the Italian side and will work on ways to integrate their solutions with Ukraine’s current needs,” Aloyan explained.
In particular, the memorandum signed by the deputy minister outlines the main areas of cooperation. A more comprehensive and detailed document will be developed based on it, specifying concrete steps and addressing specific issues necessary for the implementation of President Zelenskyy's announced Build with Ukraine program.
Aloyan recalled that funding for the production of Ukrainian goods for the needs of Ukraine’s security and defense forces is a cooperation format initiated by Denmark, followed by collaboration with several other countries. Currently, there are Lithuanian, Dutch, and German models in place. Norway is working on its own model of support for the Ukrainian defense industry, including co-financing joint projects. A number of other countries are also considering joining similar cooperation and support formats.
According to Aloyan, more agreements with partners are expected in the near future. Priority will be given to those countries that have supported Ukraine and its defense industry from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion.
