Rome, Apr 13 (EFE).— Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet with US Vice President JD Vance in Rome on Friday, Apr.18, just a day after her high-profile meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, official sources said on Sunday.
The long-rumored visit by Vance was confirmed by the Italian government’s press office, which included the meeting in Meloni’s official weekly agenda, though without specifying the time.
Meloni is scheduled to travel to Washington to meet Trump on Apr.17. During the visit, she plans to propose a reciprocal elimination of industrial tariffs between the United States and the European Union, a move also backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The far-right Italian leader, who enjoys a warm relationship with Trump, announced her upcoming trip during a recent meeting with Italian business leaders to discuss the impact of US tariffs.
Shortly afterward, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump would host Meloni for an “official working visit.”
Tariffs threaten key Italian sectors Speaking to representatives from various industry associations, Meloni warned that the current US tariffs, 20 percent in some cases, pose a threat to Italy’s strategic sectors, particularly the automotive and agricultural industries.
She voiced concern over the impact on Italian manufacturers that produce components for German automakers who then export vehicles to the US.
To address the issue, Meloni plans to present Trump with a proposal reflecting the “zero for zero” tariff initiative recently floated by von der Leyen. The plan calls for the reciprocal elimination of tariffs on existing industrial goods between the EU and the US.
“The challenge to explore, one that Italy supports and President von der Leyen proposed yesterday, is the potential for removing mutual tariffs on industrial products under the ‘zero for zero’ formula,” Meloni said. EFE
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