Biden to visit Italy PM Giorgia Meloni in final days of his presidency

Rome: U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Rome next month to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis.

Biden will “meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday evening in Washington.

The Jan. 9-12 trip to Rome is likely to be the last foreign visit of Biden’s presidency, underscoring the Italian prime minister’s growing status as a major EU power player.

Meloni’s ties with the White House are set to grow even stronger when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump has called Meloni a “fantastic leader and person,” while Meloni told her EU peers to adopt an “open approach with the new Trump administration.” Meloni is also chummy with Trump adviser and billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Biden, a devout Catholic, also plans to meet with Pope Francis on Jan. 10 to “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.”