Italy must invest in its armed forces given the unpredictable nature of the international scenario, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Tuesday during his speech at a ceremony celebrating the 165th anniversary of the Italian Army in L'Aquila.

"We have a world that has gone mad, within which our duty is to ensure that this nation, whatever may happen and whatever may not happen, is able to defend itself because there are people who are preparing for every possible scenario," he said.