In an effort to strengthen connections with President-elect Donald Trump prior to his inauguration on January 20, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloniflew traveled to Florida on Saturday to meet with the president-elect.
Videos posted on social media by reporters and others show that following an introduction by the president-elect, Meloni was greeted with cheers by members of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
She is traveling just days before she will meet with President Joe Biden in Rome from Thursday until January 12.
According to Italian media sources, Meloni had intended to discuss the Middle East, trade concerns, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the situation of an Italian journalist who was imprisoned in Tehran with Trump, however no specifics of their discussion have been made public.
Regarding the reports, Meloni’s administration chose not to comment.
Given her conservative background and the stability of the right-wing coalition she leads in Italy, she is viewed as a potentially effective ally for Trump. Elon Musk, a wealthy tech CEO and strong Trump ally who spent over a quarter-billion dollars to support him in the election, is another person she has developed a close relationship with.
This is really thrilling. According to a media pool report, Trump addressed the Mar-a-Lago throng, “I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy.” She is truly sweeping Europe.
After that, Trump and Meloni watched a documentary that questioned the criminal investigations and legal scrutiny that former Trump attorney John Eastman, who played a key role in Trump’s failed attempts to win back the 2020 election, faced.
The arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran on December 19 is one of Meloni’s most significant obstacles.
Sala was arrested three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was taken into custody at Milan’s Malpensa airport on a U.S. warrant for allegedly selling drone parts utilized in an attack in Jordan in 2023 that killed three U.S. service men, according to Washington. Iran has denied having anything to do with the incident.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s foreign ministry called Italy’s ambassador on Friday to discuss Abedini’s imprisonment.
Meloni joined the select few foreign dignitaries who have paid Trump a visit in Florida since the victory on November 5. He has met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Argentine President Javier Milei.
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