In 2023, 43 missions involving the Italian military will be funded for a total of $1.31 billion. This was announced yesterday by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to the Joint Foreign and Defense Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. It will consist of "an average of approximately 7,500 units and a maximum authorized contingent of just under 12,000 units" for international missions that "represent a key element of the defense and national security policy, functional to the political and strategic importance of Italy as well as the protection of priority national interests." However, the Minister of Defense's vision extends beyond the military. In his speech, in fact, he stressed the need to change approach: "It makes no sense to go to some countries, invest a lot, build security conditions and leave having as the only result the formation of excellent carabinieri, police forces or military forces, without giving any help to foster economic development, as well as social, cultural, health growth". The minister added that "since we will have to respect the international pacts made with NATO to reach 2%; when someone says and thinks that this 2% can be transformed immediately into armaments, he/she does not know the ideas either of this government nor of the current Minister of Defense. The creation of security, for example in Africa, is done by making those countries grow economically. The same can be said for a person that thinks that international missions, even the part financed by the Ministry of Defense, can create security by opening hospitals, schools, teaching how to work, doing university cooperation, where the security framework of the armed forces is a prerequisite".
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