President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is preparing to visit Ukraine in the near future.

"She [Meloni] will come soon, I can't tell you the date, but soon," Zelensky told presenter Bruno Vespa in the Porta a Porta show as Italian outlet ANSA reports.

He also noted that the Italian Prime Minister, whom he calls by her first name, is "extremely confident in her statements."

"Her rhetoric is quite clear to me. I see Giorgia as pro-Italian, and this is the most important thing: that she is pro-Italian and supports Ukraine. And she supports shared values. I am very much looking forward to her coming on an official visit to Ukraine," the president added.

Earlier, Meloni herself confirmed her intention to visit Kyiv and invited President Zelenskyy to visit Rome. According to the Italian Prime Minister, her visit will take place by the end of winter.

During his visit to Kyiv last Thursday, Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister of Economic Development, announced that preparations are underway for a conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, scheduled for March 2023.