ROME (Reuters) – The Italian Embassy in Ukraine will relocate to Kyiv “shortly after Easter,” according to Rome’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
Easter will take place on April 17th.
After a videoconference with Italian ambassadors to Ukraine and Russia, Di Maio said in Rome, “We were the last to leave Kyiv and we will be among the first to return.”
The move was “another measure of support to the Ukrainian people, a concrete way of stating that diplomacy must triumph,” according to the minister.
The move was made “in conjunction with other European partners” after all relevant security procedures were completed.
Following the lead of other countries, Italy moved its embassy to Lviv, Ukraine’s western metropolis, on March 1, one week after Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine and appeared to be closing in on Kiev.