“The Tricolore returns to Kyiv. Ambassador Zazo and his team reopened the Embassy of Italy in the capital of Ukraine to be closer to Ukrainian institutions, assist Italian citizens, strengthen support for dialogue and propose solutions that can end hostilities and promote peace”.
This is how the Italian Foreign Ministry announced the return to Kyiv of the Italian diplomatic team. After a month in Lviv, the Italian embassy is back to its historic headquarters at 32 B Yaroslaviv Val.
In a previous article, we wrote about the dramatic transfer to Lviv, managed by Ambassador Zazo while Russian bombs were already falling on the Ukrainian capital. Ambassador Zazo managed to bring hundreds of people to safety, including several children, becoming a hero to Italian people and institutions.
“I want to thank you on behalf of the entire Italian government. We are all proud of what you have done in the last few days, which have been difficult. You were the symbol of an Italian system that worked, saving the lives of many people“, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on that occasion.
The reopening of the Kyiv headquarters,said the Foreign Minister, “demonstrates that Italy does not waste time, does not stop believing in diplomacy and insistently seeks peace“.
Returning to Kyiv, said the ambassador in a video message, “represents for us an exciting moment of hope, more than 50 days after the beginning of the conflict. As underlined by Minister Di Maio, the reopening of our headquarters is a symbolic gesture that the local authorities greatly appreciate. Today we feel even closer to the Ukrainian government and people, and we will continue to assist our compatriots.”
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Office in Kyiv, on the other hand, is not currently operating in Ukraine but can be reached by e-mail at the following address: kiev@ice.it. A Ukraine Help Desk (mail: helpdeskucraina@ice.it) has also been activated to support entrepreneurs and companies with current interests in Ukraine.
The provision of consular services is temporarily limited and essentially focused on assistance to Italian citizens and the issuance of emergency travel documents.
