The Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Herman Smetanin held a meeting with the Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine Carlo Formosa and military attaché Ihor Torti, during which they discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Ukraine and Italy in the field of the defense-industrial complex (OPC). As reported in the Ministry of Strategic Industries, this is a key direction in the development of bilateral relations between the countries.
During the meeting, the current state of the Ukrainian defense industry was discussed, the main areas of strategic importance for the development of the defense sector, and prospects for its further strengthening were determined. Special attention was paid to cooperation between Ukrainian and Italian companies in such areas as air defense (air defense), radio electronic warfare (EW), production of armored vehicles and drones.
A detailed analysis of existing projects was conducted and opportunities for further cooperation, in particular joint projects and investments, were considered.
“We will be glad to deepen the cooperation of Ukrainian defense companies with Italian ones and to expand the directions of this cooperation. The Ukrainian defense industry is building up its capabilities, and we still need financial support from our partners, help in the supply of explosives. At the same time, we are ready to share the experience gained in production defense products and their effectiveness on the battlefield. We are for equal partnership and open dialogue between industrialists”Herman Smetanin emphasized.
Financing options aimed at supporting the supply of Ukrainian military products to the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also considered.
It should be noted that earlier the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umyerov, called on international partners to provide financial support to the Ukrainian defense industry, focusing on successes in the production of drones and the possibility of training Ukraine’s strategic reserves with the help of European allies.
