US partners with Italy to jointly promote peacekeeping operations

The US Department of Defense (DoD) and Italy Ministry of Defence (MoD) have entered has into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly promote training and education for peacekeeping operations, with immediate effect.

Under the terms of the accord, the team will identify and develop joint training and education as well as policies and procedures
Assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management Frederick E Vollrath said that the new MoU intends to promote peace and stability to areas of the world that are under stress.

The US DoD’s force readiness and strategy director, Frank DiGiovanni said, "I believe this is the first, formal agreement on education and training that the undersecretary of defense of personnel and readiness has ever signed with [Italy’s] Carabinieri."

Italy Carbinieri General Headquarters chief of staff, Major General Ilio Ciceri said, "The use of our training and deployment techniques in the theaters of operations has always enjoyed an extraordinary support and appreciation by U.S. commanders and by the highest political authorities and soldiers of your country."

The agreement runs five years and has option to extend for another five.