Meloni-Biden Meeting and the Silk Road Joint
US President Joseph R. Biden and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met at the White House. It was an opportunity to reaffirm the alliance and strategic partnership between the two countries.
The talks touched upon all the pressing issues, from the war in Ukraine to the end of the wheat deal, right down to combatting climate change.
One of the hot topics in relations between the USA and Italy is the possible Italy’s exit from the New Silk Road and, more generally, managing relations with China. The argument was resolved with the following joint statement: “The United States and Italy are committed to strengthening bilateral and multilateral consultations on the opportunities and challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China.” Meloni then explained that “we have not received any inquiries regarding the Silk Road because the USA trusts us and the role we play in the international context.” However, the USA is undoubtedly pushing Italy to withdrawing from the Memorandum.
“We have to make a decision by December,” Meloni explained on the sidelines of the meeting. “I have been invited to China several times, and I intend to go there – this will be one of the next ‘missions’ that we will organize.”
The next topic for discussion was relations with Africa and the stability in the Mediterranean. “The United States and Italy realize the vital importance of working together to bring stability and prosperity to the greater Mediterranean area, including the elimination of root causes of instability, terrorism, and illegal migration,” the White House said in a statement. The United States and Italy reaffirmed their support for the Tunisian people, as Tunisia faces ongoing economic and political problems, and their common desire for a prosperous, secure, and democratic Tunisia. The USA welcomed the July 23 Conference on Migration and Development in Rome and the creation of the “Rome Process” to develop partnerships among countries of origin, transit, and destination of migration in the greater Mediterranean area, the Middle East, and Africa. In this context, the United States acknowledges the “Mattei Plan” of the Italian government for Africa. And further, “we must strengthen relations with Africa based on a partnership of equals and stress the importance of mobilizing the private sector, United Nations partners, multilateral development banks, and international financial institutions to support these efforts.”