The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, visited the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump. Their informal meeting took place at his golf club in Florida on January 4, reports The New York Times.
According to the publication, the trip occurred just a few days before Meloni is set to meet the current U.S. President, Joseph Biden, in Rome during his official visit to Italy and the Vatican from January 9-12.
As reported by the pool, Trump remarked that he had dinner with Meloni, whom he called a "fantastic woman."
They then watched a movie together with several potential members of Trump’s future administration, including Secretary of State candidate Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.
The publication notes that Meloni and Trump have previously expressed mutual gratitude, and her visit is one of the first by a foreign leader to the estate of the newly elected president in Florida since his election.
"The meeting boosts the hopes of Meloni's supporters that the conservative Prime Minister of Italy will become an ally of Trump in Europe," the report states.
A significant part of this role, as the authors emphasize, would involve mediating tensions between other European leaders and Trump, who has threatened to initiate a trade war with the continent and reduce American support for certain NATO countries and Ukraine in its war with Russia.
"The agenda for the meeting on Saturday evening was unclear, but observers expected both leaders to discuss these issues," the article mentions.
Additionally, another potential topic, according to observers, is the detention in Iran of renowned Italian reporter Cecilia Sala.
This occurred just days after Italy arrested an Iranian at the request of the U.S., who is suspected of supplying components for drones to the country.
Iran regularly detains foreigners and dual nationals to exchange them for money and people.