Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, met US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday. Meloni became the second world leader after Argentina President Javier Milei to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago club after his victory in the presidential election in the United States. Moreover, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban met Trump in Florida.
Trump came to attend a screening of a documentary detailing challenges some conservative lawyers report facing in the legal system. He entered the grand ballroom around 7 pm and returned around two hours later after having dinner.
Trump calls Meloni 'fantastic woman'
Referring to his meeting with Meloni, as "exciting", Trump said, "I'm here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy. She's really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we're just having dinner tonight."
Trump watched the documentary with Meloni along with his pick for the incoming administration's secretary of state, Florida Senator, Mike Waltz, Trump's choice for national security adviser.
Meloni's visit comes after arrest of Italian journalist in Iran
Meloni's visit follows the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained by Iranian authorities in Tehran last month. Sala's arrest has caused a diplomatic standoff between Rome and Tehran, heightening tensions between both countries.
Iran has been asking Italy to release an Iranian businessman who was arrested recently in Milan on a US warrant in connection with a drone attack in Jordan last year that killed three American troops.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is set to travel to Rome to meet with Meloni, as well as Pope Francis, beginning Thursday.
The White House says the Meloni meeting will “highlight the strength of the US-Italy relationship” and feature Biden thanking the prime minister “for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year.
(With agency inputs)
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