The Italian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Salvatore Farina, visited the UNIFIL Headquarters today to reaffirm the country's support to the mandate of the peacekeeping force in south Lebanon.

Upon arrival at the main UNIFIL base in Naqoura, he was received by the Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col. During their meeting, Major General Del Col expressed his appreciation for the important contribution Italian peacekeepers have made in furthering peace and stability in south Lebanon. 

On his part, Lt. Gen. Farina, who was also joined by Italian ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti, underlined the strategic importance of the UNIFIL mission and the contribution of Italian troops.

Later in the day, Lt. Gen. Farina visited a UN position along the Blue Line, which is monitored round-the-clock by Italian peacekeepers. He also visited the main Italian base in Shamaa.

With ITALAIR joining UNIFIL in 1979, Italy has a long and proud service with the Mission.  Today, Italy contributes some 1,050 troops to UNIFIL, making it the second largest contributor to the Mission's some 10,500 UN Peacekeepers