Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday
visited an Italian military contingent deployed as part of
NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission to safeguard the airspace of
the Baltic Republics, after attending a meeting hosted by
Finland in its northern Lapland region, with the premiers of
Sweden and Greece, as well as the EU foreign affairs chief, to
discuss security in the Nordic region and the Mediterranean and
migration challenges.
"The homeland is a mother, that mother wants to say thank you"
because it "appreciates and recognizes the extraordinary
sacrifices you make, the value those sacrifices bestow and
produce for your nation", she said during her visit to the air
base of Šiauliai.
"Italy takes part in 37 missions abroad, we are the first
contributor in Europe, the second in NATO, our professionalism,
our heroism are requested all over the world.
"It is something that makes us proud but creates the conditions
to defend the national interest at the negotiations that count.
"My credibility and the nation's credibility walk especially on
your legs, the future of Italy in its ability to defend national
interests flies in particular on your wings", said Meloni.
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