Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni traveled to Florida on Saturday to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, aiming to strengthen ties with the incoming U.S. administration ahead of Trump's January 20 inauguration.
At Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, Meloni received a warm welcome, with applause from members following her introduction by the president-elect, according to videos shared on social media.
Her visit comes just days before a scheduled meeting with President Joe Biden in Rome, set to take place from Thursday to January 12.
While the specifics of her discussions with Trump have not been disclosed, Italian media reported that Meloni intended to address topics including Russia's war in Ukraine, trade relations, the Middle East, and the case of an Italian journalist detained in Tehran.
Meloni is regarded as a strong potential partner for Trump due to her conservative credentials and the stability of the right-wing coalition she leads in Italy. She has also developed a close relationship with billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, a staunch Trump ally who contributed over a quarter-billion dollars to support his election victory.
"This is very exciting. I'm here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy," Trump told the Mar-a-Lago crowd, according to a media pool report. "She's really taken Europe by storm."
Meloni's visit follows that of Argentina's President Javier Milei, who was the first world leader to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his Election Day victory in November. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also traveled to Florida for meetings with the president-elect.
President Biden is scheduled to visit Rome later this week for meetings with Meloni and Pope Francis. According to the White House, Biden's meeting with Meloni will "highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship" and provide an opportunity to thank her for "her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year."
