NNA - Italian Ambassador to Beirut, Giuseppe Morabito, stressed that, "For Italy, UNIFIL has a fundamental role in maintaining peace and stability in Lebanon - peace and stability that are also part of Italy's national interests."


Speaking during the official ceremony announcing the joining of the Italian Navy Ship, Andrea Doria, in the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, which took place at Beirut Harbor on Wednesday, Morabito indicated that with the Andrea Doria, "the Italian Navy is, once again, part of the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force which has been led 3 times by Italy since its establishment on October 15th, 2006."


In a press release by the Italian Embassy in Beirut on Thursday, it expressed the Italian Ambassador's pride and joy to have taken part in the handing-over ceremony of the Italian Navy Ship. "Italy is back in Lebanon with its Navy. This is a further demonstration that we are a Country that always stands besides its friends, like Lebanon, when they need us," said the Italian Ambassador.


The event was hosted by UNIFIL Force Commander, Major General Paolo Serra, with Apostolic Nuncio, Mons. Gabriele Caccia, and Diplomatic Corp Dean attending; alongside various other prominent figures and military officials, the press release indicated.


"The Andrea Doria is a modern destroyer of the Italian Navy, which, together with its sister-ship, Caio Duilio, and the two French vessels, Forbin and Chevalier Paul, belong to the Horizon class, an Italian and French building consortium," the press release added.


"Andrea Doria, with its crew of 195 men and women, is able to cover a broad spectrum of maritime activities, ranging from high-intensity military operations to maritime security operations. The ship, with a displacement of 7,050t, a length of 152.9m and a width of 20.3m, was designed to be as little detectable by radar as possible," the Embassy press release indicated.



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