Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni paid an unannounced visit to Lithuania’s Šiauliai on Sunday, where she met with Italian troops deployed in the NATO Air Policing Mission.
Speaking to the Italian troops stationed in Lithuania, Meloni thanked them for their service and wished them a happy holiday season.
“I am going home from Latvia, Finland, like many people working away from home, when in Italy, most people are busy preparing Christmas lunches, buying the last presents, getting ready to meet their families. You will not be able to do that. I know that it weighs you down, but I also know that deep down, it might feel even worse to know that you are not doing your job here,” Meloni said. “Here, you are providing your families with the security and peace that makes them proud when they sit down at the Christmas table.”
“You may not see your children unwrapping their Christmas presents, but Italy is grateful to you, and I am sure your children will be proud of you, just as the whole of Italy is proud. Thank you and have a Merry Christmas,” the Italian prime minister added in her greetings.
In mid-July, the NATO air policing mission in Šiauliai was taken over by Italian forces patrolling the alliance’s airspace with Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
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