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Monday, March 2, 2015
The Italian Navy has announced that it will begin naval exercises this week near the coast of Libya. According to a statement by Italy’s Naval authorities, operation Mare Aperto will begin on Monday.
Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo said the operation was not directly connected with the political crisis in Libya, or the recent threats made by Islamic State militants following the murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians. Italian oil major ENI holds valuable oil and gas assets and exploration assets.
“We’re training our ships and our men, that’s all. Our activity has nothing to do with other scenarios,” he was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.
While Ribuffo may publically deny the exercise has anything to do with the civil disaster in the country, Italy has plenty of reasons to flex its Naval muscles, not the least of which would be protecting its own shores from seeing the arrival of militants or immigrants, but also protecting Italian oil major ENI’s valuable oil and gas assets in the North African country.
Thousands of immigrants make it to European shores via boat and with the recent threatening statement by ISIS, Italy surely wants to be proactive and secure its own borders from immigrants and more so from the Islamic State militants.
Ribuffo conceded the presence of naval vessels in the area could help improve security.
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