There’s now more Italy in Odesa. On Thursday, Italy’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Pier Francesco Zazo, inaugurated the seat of the first Italian Honorary Consulate in Ukraine. It is headed by Honorary Consul Vladislav Shtamburg, whom the former thanked “for his generosity” and described as one of the hinges on which “the friendship between Italy and Ukraine rests – as well as the dutiful support that our country guarantees in the face of Russian aggression.”
- The Honorary Consulate is at 7 Pushkinska Street, originally named after Italy (vulytsia Italiiska), “testifying to the deep historical ties between the city on the Black Sea and our country,” as an official Italian note reads.
- It has jurisdiction over the regions of Odesa, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Think reconstruction. The inauguration of the Honorary Consulate in Odesa “is the first step in the establishment of an Italian honorary consular network in Ukraine,” said Ambassador Zazo, explaining it will become “a real structure at the service of Italy” which can provide support to Ukraine “in view of its future reconstruction.”
- The institution, he continued, “will provide important support to our compatriots and businesses in the city of Odesa and its consular district.” It will act as a coordination hub for the Italian projects to restore over fifty buildings of high architectural value, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was severely damaged by Russian missiles in late July.
- Rome hosted a bilateral reconstruction conference in April. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy intends to continue playing “a central role” through the G-7 presidency in 2024 and the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025.
Image: Italy in Ukraine on X
