(By Domenico Palesse)
"Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray' -
the crew of the Amerigo Vespucci shouted to greet Premier
Giorgia Meloni's first visit as the head of government to the
Italian Navy's training ship on Saturday.
The premier boarded the tall ship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where
it is on one of the last stages of a world tour before returning
home to the Mediterranean.
"The Vespucci has never just been a training ship, the lady of
the seas, the pride of our armed forces, the excellence of the
training of Navy officer students," Meloni said.
"It is a symbol of history, wisdom, tradition, innovation and an
extraordinary ambassador of Italy. It's a school of the sea, a
school of life".
The whistles of the helmsmen paid homage to the prime minister
as she boarded, while the sun began to set behind the "most
beautiful ship in the world".
Red, white and green lights of the Italian flag illuminated the
hull while the commander, Captain Giuseppe Lai, showed her
around the bridge and the corridors of the "lady of the seas",
which is ready to celebrate its 94th birthday.
"This is one of the most beautiful, extraordinary feelings I
have experienced in this position as premier," Meloni said in
her speech to the crew.
"The Vespucci does not just represent the excellence of our
armed forces, the role of naval diplomacy, it also represents
the values ;;and culture of which we are bearers".
The Amerigo Vespucci departed from Genoa in July 2023, for a
world tour, the second in its almost 100-year history, and it is
on the 33rd stage.
It has travelled more than 43,000 nautical miles on the tour and
visited five continents and this time too it is also accompanied
by Villaggio Italia, the touring exposition of Italian
excellence that has attracted almost 400,000 visitors so far.
"You have accomplished a historic feat and Italy must know
this," Meloni told the crew.
"This world tour is the tour of an entire nation.
"I must thank (Defence) Minister (Guido) Crosetto, the Navy, all
the ministries that collaborated, the diplomatic network, and,
above all, you, because nothing would have been possible without
the crew," she said.
Concluding her speech in front of a map with the routes the
Vespucci has taken on its world tour, Meloni compared Italy to
the ship.
"If everyone does not do their bit, you cannot sail, especially
when the sea is stormy," she said.
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