Qatar’s Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani met with Commander of the Italian Carabinieri General Teo Luzi in Rome on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed a host of topics pertaining to boosting relations between the two countries in the fields of security, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

The Interior Minister and Commander of the Italian Carabinieri attended the ceremony of signing the workplan for cooperation and exchanging expertise between Lekhwiya and Carabinieri in the fields of environmental security and the workplan to send a number of Lekhwiya officer candidates to study at the Carabinieri Academy.

The work plans were signed by Lekhwiya Assistant Commander for Security Operations Brigadier Nawaf Majed Al Ali and Director-General of International Relations at the Italian Carabinieri General Pietro Carrozza.

The Carabinieri are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy’s main law enforcement agencies, alongside the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force.

As the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces, the Carabinieri come under the authority of the Italian Ministry of Defence. For activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the Ministry of the Interior.