Premier Mario Draghi has nominated career diplomat Elisabetta Belloni chief of the Security Intelligence Department (DIS) - the first woman to head Italy's secret services.
Belloni, 62, will report directly to the cabinet and replaces Italian general Gennaro Vecchione in the post. She was previously foreign ministry secretary general - the highest position a career diplomat can hold there - and was also the first woman appointee.
Belloni's nomination as DIS chief was welcomed by foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, who called it "a major recognition the diplomatic service's work".
European Union economy commissioner and former Italian premier and foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni also praised the nomination, tweeting that Belloni was "the right woman for the job".
The DIS oversees domestic and foreign intelligence and security matters as well as counter-espionage and cybersecurity.
