(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)