A strategic meeting took place with the program manager of the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) in Bari, Mr. Luigi Cavestro.

The main focus was the initiation of the project «Support Program for the Economic Recovery of Ukraine's Agro-Food Sector. Pro.UKR», which will be implemented in the Odessa region with the support of AICS and CIHEAM.

This project has been developed by the Italian side in collaboration with experts from the Odessa region and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, covering the Berezivskyi, Rozdilnianskyi, and Odeskyi districts.

The project's goal is to support small and medium-sized agribusinesses, strengthen the position of Ukrainian agro-food products in global markets through technological support and quality enhancement in line with European standards, and promote livestock development. The project also aims to assist in the development of irrigation systems in the Odessa region.

The core idea of the project is training and forming cooperatives for processing agricultural products from small agribusinesses, along with establishing stable links between the Ukrainian and Italian markets.

As part of the joint project, CIHEAM plans to invest over 9 million euros into the agricultural industry of Odessa.

It is worth noting that the Italian Ambassador to Ukraine, Carlo Formosa, signed an agreement with CIHEAM at the end of March to launch the mentioned project.

The «Pro.UKR» project is part of broader efforts by Italy to support the recovery of Ukraine and the Odessa region to enhance the economic and social resilience of the country during these challenging times.