(August 25, 2017) Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Massimo Marotti expressed to the Army Commander General Joseph Aoun the "total support" of the Italian government to the Lebanese armed forces and paid tribute to the efforts made by them during the operation against Daesh "Fajr al Jurud". "The ambassador - explains a note circulated by Italian diplomatic network - expressed his deep condolences for the painful loss of lives in the ranks of the army, reiterating our country's commitment to supporting Lebanon in the defense field." This year, Italy has allocated more than US $ 100 million of its national budget for participation in Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). (Red)

ABOUT / MIBIL

As of 2015, the Italian armed forces ensure the training of selected units of Lebanese Armed Forces, through the Italian bilateral military mission in Lebanon "Mibil", for the purpose of acquiring and developing highly specialized capabilities in different military domains. The value of the materials provided and training activities, including those for the benefit of the Presidential Guard, reaches US $ 20 million. The Italian government also plans to increase bilateral assistance in the future.