US-Italy Ties: Donald Trump welcomes Italian PM to Washington

World
Europe

02:25

Just two months into his job, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. The two leaders share similar thoughts on issues like immigration and relations with Russia. But as CGTN's White House correspondent Nathan King reports, Trump made news on Iran.

Italian U.S. relations on the agenda as both men sat down to talk, but it was the U.S. offer to talk with Iran that made the headlines from this summit.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "They want to meet, I'll meet. Any time they want. Any time they want. It's good for the country. Good for them, good for us, and good for the world. No preconditions."

Trump's offer - swiftly rebuffed by Tehran - comes a week before financial sanctions are set to be reimposed on Iran, following Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The opening came just a week after a confrontational Tweet from the U.S. president, threatening possible military action. Parallels are now being drawn to the 'maximum pressure' approach Trump used towards Pyongyang before finally meeting DPRK leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

Italian-U.S. relations are far more cordial, however. Giuseppe Conte is head of a new populist government. Like Trump, Conte wants stricter immigration controls as well as deeper engagement with Russia. Both men backed each other's positions.

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "The prime minister, frankly, is with us today, because of illegal immigration. Italy got tired of it. The people of Italy have born a great burden for Europe through the course of migration. I applaud the prime minister for his bold leadership."

GIUSEPPE CONTE ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER "Italy is favorable to a dialogue with Russia, so we can have positive results from a more global perspective for stability and security purposes."

Both Trump and Conte said sanctions against Russia will remain, at least for now, but on issue after issue, Conte praised Trump's approach-suggesting Rome is now closer to Washington than it is to Paris and Berlin.

NATHAN KING WHITE HOUSE "Italy and the U.S. still have differences when it comes to trade and competing economic interests, but the goodwill shown here by both men for each other suggests an evolving partnership that could also have profound effects on the politics of the European Union. Nathan King CGTN at the White House."