Premier Giorgia Meloni won the praise
of United States President Joe Biden for Italy's staunch support
of Ukraine since the Russian invasion when the leaders met at
the White House for the second time on Friday.
"I want to thank you for Italy's unwavering support for
Ukraine," said Biden.
"We have each other's backs. We also have Ukraine's back".
He also joked that he played the Ray Charles song "Georgia on My
Mind" as Meloni arrived.
The leaders discussed the main global challenges and how to
coordinate the allies responses to them, with Italy holding the
duty presidency of the G7.
Meloni, who also visited the White House in July, said the
crisis in the Middle East was of "utmost concern", stressing the
need to "work together on concrete steps to guarantee the
two-state perspective, which is the only long-term sustainable
solution".
She also proposed the creation of a "global alliance against
human traffickers" as part of efforts to stop the illegal
arrival of migrants.
"Building on Italy's role in the Mediterranean, the G7 will pay
special attention also to the African continent," Meloni said,
according to a statement by the premier's office.
"We've been discussing it, many times, for I think we have to
remember that Africa is not a poor continent; it is, on the
contrary, incredibly rich in human and material resources, but
it has been neglected and exploited with a predatory approach
for a long time.
"I want to reverse this approach, together with you, which is
also a root cause of the migration crisis.
"We need to support Africa's development on an equal basis and
put an end to illegal migration while fighting human
trafficking. Human trafficking has become the most financially
rewarding crime globally, and we cannot accept it any longer.
"For this reason, I came here today also with a proposal to
launch a global alliance against human traffickers".
After the encounter Meloni flew to Toronto, where she is meeting
Canadian President Justin Trudeau on Saturday.
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