The G7 under Italian presidency will have among its priorities “the strengthening of the rules-based international order, the defense of freedom and the construction of peace in Ukraine”. This is what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised, in Washington for a bilateral meeting at the White House with President Joe Biden. An occasion during which the Prime Minister reiterated the existing strategic partnership between Italy and the United States. A relationship which would be further strengthened by the presence of millions of Italian-Americans in the USA. On the other hand, Biden himself joked at the end of the conversation in the Oval Office that he “made my contribution to strengthening relations between Italy and the United States by marrying an Italian-American.” His wife Jill Jacobs, née Giacoppo, is in fact the daughter of a Sicilian immigrant who arrived in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. And finally Biden joked about the meeting with the Prime Minister: “I must admit that when she crossed the threshold, we are good friends, I sang Giorgia by Ray Charles, Italy and the United States are strong allies, great friends.”
The importance of Italy in the fight against the Houthis
However, Meloni's ambitions are not fully realized: “Since our last meeting, we have strengthened our cooperation and trade: we have done a good job, but we can do even better,” he said. During the meeting, Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea were also discussed. Episodes defined by Meloni as “unacceptable”. And in this regard, he added, “the European Aspides mission, placed under the tactical command of Italy, constitutes an important response”. Shortly before, Meloni announced the return of Chico Forti to Italy after 24 years of detention in the United States.
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