Italy actively engaged against fires in Ecuador

(ANSA) - QUITO, 25 SET - 'Leonardo Group helicopters were the first to intervene in Quito to fight the fires threatening the city'. This was reported by the Italian ambassador to Ecuador, Giovanni Davoli, who went on Wednesday morning to the heliport from where the first aerial fire-fighting operations began with the Italian helicopters: one belonging to the Quito fire brigade, the other to a private Ecuadorian company linked to the Italian group, on board of which Davoli was able to fly over the area affected by the fires.
    The ambassador then met with the national secretary for Risk Management, Jorge Carrillo Tutivén, to whom he expressed Italy's concrete solidarity in this emergency, recalling the recent signing of an agreement for the continuation of the programme managed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, "Amazonia sin fuego", between the undersecretary of foreign affairs, Maria Tripodi, and the foreign minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld. Personnel from this programme, the ambassador also emphasised, are currently operating in the field fighting the flames.
    Davoli then announced the forthcoming visit to Quito of General Rispoli, Commander of the Carabinieri's Forestry Unit, who will meet with the relevant local authorities to discuss strengthening Italian cooperation in fire risk prevention and management.