Italian premier, US president meet in Rome ahead of G20 summit

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi met on Friday US President Joe Biden in Rome ahead of the 16th G20 summit, his office said.

According to a statement, the meeting "focused on the excellent cooperation between Italy’s G20 Presidency and the US on addressing the main global challenges: the fights against the pandemic and climate change, the economic recovery, the strengthening of the rule-based multilateral order."

Draghi and Biden also discussed bilateral relations, and international issues such as Afghanistan and Libya, the press release added.

Separately, a readout from the White House said the two leaders “discussed challenges to security in the Mediterranean Sea region and reaffirmed the importance of NATO’s efforts to deter and defend against threats from every strategic direction.”

“The leaders also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the bilateral relationship and to the Transatlantic bond, including through NATO. They emphasized the importance of the U.S.-EU partnership, including ongoing work to ensure the rules governing the 21st century economy are based in shared democratic values,” it added.

The group of 20 largest and most advanced economies is holding the summit on Oct. 30-31 in Italy to focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering a robust economic recovery, and boosting global cooperation on climate action.