Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew Thursday evening to Erbil, Iraq, for a visit to the Italian military personnel engaged in the area. This was confirmed by the President of the Council herself, speaking to the members of Parliament of Fratelli d’Italia gathered in the Chamber for Christmas greetings. Speaking of the trip to Iraq, which other ministers will also make to visit the Italian contingents, Meloni stressed: "It is an important signal to give to our men and women, who surely sacrifice more than us". Her words were followed by a standing ovation. The Italian military missions abroad are 10 in NATO, 12 in the European Union and 7 in the UN. The number of military personnel engaged between old and new missions is growing: the maximum number of authorized military personnel is 12,055 units while the average size is about 7,600 military personnel. Last year, these numbers were 9,449 and 6,511 respectively. The Italian military engagement is increasing especially in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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