MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei holds meetings with Meloni and Mattarella in Rome

“Italy and Argentina are proud to have a deep historical and cultural bond,” Meloni said

In addition to meeting with Pope Francis, Argentine President Javier Milei seized his presence in Rome for an encounter with Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella to round up his first official trip abroad which also included a stopover in Israel.

After both encounters, sources close to the Argentine President quoted by Buenos Aires media spoke of “a sign of trust” and “the beginning” of a new stage in bilateral ties.

Meloni and Milei discussed at the Roman Palazzo Chigi ways to “deepen the bilateral relationship,” it was reported. The Italian leader also highlighted the “positive meeting in which we discussed the development of new partnerships in key sectors for our economies such as energy, infrastructure, and the agri-food sector.”

“Italy and Argentina are proud to have a deep historical and cultural bond and we hope that it can continue to move forward for renewed cooperation in various fields,” Meloni also highlighted on X.

“Argentina is a nation to which we are linked by deep historical and cultural ties and where the largest community of Italians abroad resides. Rome and Buenos Aires share common values that define our foreign policy action in the current international context,” the Italian head of government said in a statement after Milei won the Nov. 19 presidential runoff. After that, Meloni highlighted Milei's “fascinating personality.”

Earlier Monday, Milei and Mattarella met at the 1583-built Quirinal Palace which once served as a papal building.

Also joining Milei were Ministers Diana Mondino (Foreign Affairs), Guillermo Francos (Interior), and Sandra Pettovello (Human Capital), in addition to Presidential Secretary Karina Milei.