During the consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal held on March 31, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Vincenzo Amendola stressed Italy's interest in strengthening mutually beneficial relations with Ukraine in economic sphere, in particular in the field of energy and small and medium enterprises, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported on its website.

"In this view, both sides emphasized the significance of holding the next meeting of the Ukrainian-Italian Council on Economic, Industrial and Financial Cooperation," the report reads.

Zerkal stressed that Ukraine's cooperation with Italy is getting a special meaning particularly in terms of vast prospects both for bilateral interaction and in the European context.

Amendola also said that Italy hasn't changed its position on keeping the EU sanctions against Russia in place, noting the importance of the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.