The Italian Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti, accompanied by the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Massimo Marotti and the Chief of the Italian Defence Staff, Gen. Claudio Graziano, met this morning with Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Tammam Salam and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Samir Mokbel. During the talks, the excellent level of cooperation between Italy and Lebanon, as well as the importance of stability in Lebanon for the balance of the region were reaffirmed. The Italian side expressed its hope for a speedy resolution of the institutional impasse. The interlocutors of Minister Pinotti expressed great appreciation for the Italian contribution to the stabilization of southern Lebanon thanks to the efforts of the Force Commander and of the Italian contingent in UNIFIL.
Mrs. Pinotti’s visit to Lebanon started Monday at Shamaa base, where she addressed the Italian contingent operating within UNIFIL, and met with the students of the LUISS University of Rome undergoing an internship at the contingent. The Italian Minister, in the presence of the Force Commander of UNIFIL, Gen. Luciano Portolano, visited the Roman archaeological site of Tyre, where the Italian Cooperation will implement a project for the site conservation and valorization within the “Cultural Heritage and Urban Development” project (CHUD).
