Rome, July 10, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal reiterated at the Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine in Rome on Thursday its “strong support” for Kyiv’s aspirations, saying it will do “everything in its power” to help with the peace, reconstruction and EU accession processes.
“Portugal’s message is very simple - it is a message of strong support. Support for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union [EU], support for peace, and support for reconstruction. And Portugal will do everything in its power to help achieve these goals,” said Secretary of State for European Affairs Inês Domingos, representing Portugal at the conference, to Lusa in Rome.
Beginning by “highlighting the importance of this conference, because it is a strong sign of the commitment of several countries” to supporting Ukraine, Inês Domingos stressed that the discussion centers on the future reconstruction of the country, which Russian aggression, ongoing for almost three and a half years, has devastated, and on the efforts towards “peace and prosperity in Ukraine” as ‘an element of security for the entire region’, as well as the EU accession process.
Regarding Portugal, he said that the country had ‘made a significant contribution’, recalling the cooperation agreement signed between Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the latter’s visit to Portugal last year, as well as participation “in EU initiatives providing financial, military and humanitarian support”.
“I also mentioned here at this conference issues related to education, children and youth,” he said.
‘Portugal is naturally very concerned about the humanitarian situation in general,’ but particularly ‘about the situation of children living in this very difficult war scenario,’ he commented.
“I mentioned Portugal’s participation and commitment to the Olena Zelenska Foundation, particularly with regard to the ‘Superhero Schools’, where Portugal has pledged to support the creation of two educational centres in hospitals, and I also noted how Portugal welcomes Ukrainian citizens and, in particular, how schools in Portugal integrate children,” he continued.
Among examples of Portugal’s commitment to initiatives in support of Ukraine, he recalled the national participation in various international coalitions to support Ukraine, in the effort to facilitate the return of abducted children, the sending of aid through the civil protection mechanism also sends support to Ukraine, as well as participation in the ongoing effort to set up a special tribunal to try the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
After the President of the European Council, António Costa, saidvtoday at the Rome conference that “Russia must take full accountability for the devastation it has caused” and “take responsibility for rebuilding what it has sought to destroy”, Inês Domingos asserted that Portugal has supported and will continue to support all efforts in this direction.
“Portugal has always been an active and participating member of the initiatives we are aware of and that exist to hold Russia accountable for what it is doing,” she said.
Rome is hosting the fourth edition of the Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine between today and Friday, co-chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with more than 3,500 participants, including several heads of state and government, Dozens of national delegations and hundreds of representatives from financial institutions, companies, regional and municipal authorities, civil society and the Ukrainian diaspora.
In his opening speech, Zelensky argued that the “escalation of terror by Russia” shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin prefers conflict over peace. He therefore called for “accelerated” aid from Kyiv’s allies and the imposition of sanctions on Moscow.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of a European fund that will use public money to attract private investment for the reconstruction of Ukraine, hoping to mobilise 500 million euros by 2026.
At the opening of the proceedings, the Italian prime minister announced that donors expect pledges of aid for the reconstruction of Ukraine to reach €10 billion, referring to the commitments that participants will make at this Fourth Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine, following those held in Lugano (Switzerland) months after the start of the aggression, in London (2023) and in Berlin (2024).
ACC/ADB // ADB.
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