Biden, Meloni speak of possibly boosting US-Italy trade  

(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke about the possibility of boosting trade between the two countries as they met at the White House.

Biden said he saw no reason why trade couldn’t increase while Meloni said she agreed about the possibility of boosting trade with the United States.

She said the two leaders discussed Italy’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but Washington’s approach was not to dictate Italy’s policy on China.

“Our relations are strong,” Meloni said at the start of the Oval Office meeting with Biden. “They cross governments and remain solid regardless of their political colors. We know who our friends are in times that are tough.”

Meloni also used her first trip to Washington to spend some time on Capitol Hill, where her meetings included a visit with Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Rome and Washington both emphasized the trip as an opportunity to reaffirm a strong partnership between the countries, including over the billions of dollars in military and other aid the West has provided Ukraine in its grinding war against Russia since 2022.

During a small portion of the meeting open to reporters, Biden complimented Italy on what he said was its strong stance on Ukraine. Meloni said she was proud that Italy has helped defend international law.

Washington hopes the West’s alliance against Russia’s Ukraine invasion will help deter China from changing the status quo in democratically ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, and the broader Pacific.

The two leaders emphasized areas of cooperation and unity in a joint statement issued after the meeting, vowing to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and to strengthening dialogue on the “opportunities and challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China.”

Meloni must decide in coming months over whether to maintain Italy’s membership in Beijing’s Belt and Road (BRI) infrastructure plan, a program which Washington has been working to counter. Biden said Italy and the United States would only see their mutual trade increase.

“We’re talking about our deepening economic connection that has fueled more than $100 billion in trade last year,” Biden said during the White House meeting. “In my mind, there’s no reason why that can’t increase.”