Singular urgency to spend for defence says Giorgetti

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 15 - Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti told a meeting of his right-wing League party in Ancona on Saturday that Europe's ReArm plan was "singular" given that the war in Ukraine had started three years ago.
    "The fact that we suddenly discover that we need to spend an avalanche of billions getting into debt for defence is singular, given that there has been a war in Ukraine for three years", Giorgetti said at the event, the first of three rallies organized by the League ahead of its federal congress.
    The ruling party said Thursday that under the new ReArm Europe plan launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Italy should only buy from Italian firms and that the EU should have the same attention for the Mediterranean that it does for its eastern borders.
    This position was agreed in talks by leader and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, Giorgetti and other party high-ups to assess investments on defence.
    All investment or defence plans should not penalise Italy's national debt, the second highest in the eurozone after Greece's, the League said. (ANSA).