By Ilayda Cakirtekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Italy's interior minister on Wednesday ruled out US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carrying out police activities on national territory because of their possible presence during the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, according to the ANSA news agency.
"ICE does not and will never be able to carry out operational police activities on our national territory," Matteo Piantedosi told the Chamber of Deputies.
He said the public safety and order are ensured "exclusively" by Italian police forces.
"During the Milan-Cortina Games, the members of this agency will be engaged only in analysis and information exchange with the Italian authorities," said Piantedosi.
He reaffirmed that their presence is "not a sudden and unilateral initiative" to undermine the country's national sovereignty, underlining that cooperation in question dates to a bilateral agreement in 2009.
"We will not see anything on national territory that can be traced back to what has been seen in the media in the United States. The concern that has inspired the controversy of the last few days, which this information allows me to definitively sweep away, is therefore completely unfounded," Piantedosi added.
The Opening Ceremony for the Games is scheduled for Friday.