Politics Meloni with Salman: Italy and Saudi Arabia now strategic partners

SDA

26.1.2025 - 19:33

ARCHIVE - Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, at a press conference in Rome. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/AP/dpa/Archive image
ARCHIVE - Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, at a press conference in Rome. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/AP/dpa/Archive image
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Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is deepening relations with Saudi Arabia. There is enormous untapped potential in cooperation, said Meloni after a meeting with the Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman. According to a statement from the government in Rome, they signed a declaration that raises the countries' bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership and introduces structured cooperation.

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During the meeting with Salman, Meloni also discussed key global and regional issues, the statement added. These included the search for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the consolidation of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the resumption of a political process towards a two-state solution, as well as approaches to the energy transition.

Meloni: Agreements worth billions signed

The total value of the agreements signed during her visit amounted to around ten billion dollars, said Meloni, who was accompanied by representatives of Italian companies and investment companies. "This figure illustrates the extraordinary leap that we have jointly undertaken for our future cooperation," said Meloni, according to the Ansa news agency.

The agreements cover several areas, including culture. According to Ansa, Roberto Cingolani, CEO of the Italian defense company Leonardo, spoke of agreements on helicopters, patrol and transport aircraft, among other things. The idea of establishing production chains in the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia and entering into long-term industrial partnerships is very attractive, he said.

Meloni is known for her closeness to US President Donald Trump, who spoke to Crown Prince Salman on the phone just a few days ago. According to media reports, it was his first phone call with a foreign leader since being sworn in, at least nothing has been revealed about any other conversation beforehand. Among other things, the conversation is said to have been about global political issues such as the situation in the Middle East and investments worth billions in the USA.