"The rules of engagement are determined by Europe and they are the same for all rescues. We always need to shed light and carry out internal investigations on everything. But nobody said not to rescue people at sea. I saved people in the mountains, while there are those who speak in the newspapers and who have never gone to save anyone in their life".
Thus the Deputy Minister of Infrastructures,
Edoardo Rixi,
responding to reporters on the massacre of migrants in Cutro, on the sidelines of a conference in Palermo.
"I am for clarity, anyone will go to Parliament. All things will be seen but I don't like anyone questioning the fact that the Italian rescue forces, which do not depend on politics because they are rescuers at sea regardless. If the the problem is who is the minister or the deputy minister we can talk about it, but no one touches the Coast Guard because we would question a body that is admired worldwide and I would like it to be admired also by this country", Rixi reiterated.
"Piantedosi is a prefect and speaks like a prefect, if he were a politician he would speak like a politician. Since the beginning of the year we have saved more people than all the other Mediterranean nations put together. Even in this situation, Greece has not intervened for 4 days. The reports were made, just as they were made to Italy and Italy tried to intervene" added Rixi referring to the words of the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi immediately after the shipwreck of the migrants in Cutro which raised controversy .
Rixi added that Minister Piantedosi enjoys "the utmost confidence".
