Polish president to visit SOPHIA mission troops in Sicily on Thursday

Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, on Thursday will visit the Polish military contingent of the EU SOPHIA mission in Sicily, formed to counteract human smuggling and trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the National Security Bureau (BBN), the president will visit the Sigonella base, where he will get acquainted with the contingent's tasks and the situation in the region. He will also take part in a Christmas meeting with soldiers. President Duda will be accompanied by Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, BBN head Pawel Soloch, Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Rajmund Andrzejczak and Operational Commander of the Armed Forces General Tomasz Piotrowski.