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Slovenia offered the ship to help Italy tackle the refugee crisis on Lampedusa, the destination of thousands of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, in the aftermath of a ship capsizing that left over 360 refugees dead.

Triglav is expected to perform reconnaissance missions and help with rescue efforts if necessary. The cost is estimated at half a million euros including fuel and staff costs, the minister told reporters in Brussels.

The figure could be lower if Slovenia secures EU co-funding, but Jakič was quick to point out that the Italian air force was conducting control of Slovenian air space on behalf of NATO, which costs it nearly two million euros a year.

Moreover, he said the Mediterranean refugee crisis was "the EU's problem, not just Italy's problem". "We need to help our neighbours."

After completing its mission in the waters around Lampedusa, the Triglav will return to Slovenia to get ready for deployment in the UN's mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the second half of the year.

The Triglav is a Svetlyak-class patrol boat which Slovenia got from Russia in 2010 as an offset for Soviet-era debt. It is 49 metres long, 9.2 metres wide and has a top speed of 27 knots.