Trip to the USA for Antonio Tajani. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will travel from tomorrow, June 11 to Wednesday, June 14, 2023, on an official mission to the United States. During the articulated mission to Washington – whose objective is to further consolidate the excellent bilateral relations and coordination on the main international issues, also with a view to the Italian presidency of the G7 in 2024 – the deputy prime minister will have, first of all, a meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This will be an opportunity to reaffirm the strategic importance of the transatlantic link that for more than 70 years has been the guiding star of our country’s external action and to underline the strong appreciation of the Italian government for the close coordination within NATO, the G7 and the Quint format on all major international topics, from Ukraine to the Middle East, Africa to China and the Indo-Pacific.
In the meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, Director General of the International Monetary Fund, Tajani will raise the issue of the financial crisis in Tunisia, reiterating the need to reach the final approval of the “Extended Fund Facility” for the benefit of the country as soon as possible. The deputy prime minister will report on the close contacts in recent weeks with the Tunisian authorities and with the main European and international partners, in order to identify a pragmatic and gradual approach to obtaining a fundamental agreement for the country’s economic stabilization. . The visit will also be an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation on the economic and trade front, a topic that was at the center of the conversation with the US Trade Representative, Katherine Tai. The US is Italy’s first trading partner outside the EU and the third largest destination for Italian exports. Trade exchange between the two countries is growing strongly: in 2022 it reached 90 billion euros (+38% compared to 2021), with a volume of Italian exports equal to 65 billion (+32%) and with a positive trade balance of 40 billion. The main items of Italian exports are machinery (17%), means of transport (16%), pharmaceutical products (11%), food products (10%), textiles and clothing (9%).
During the visit, Minister Tajani will also greet the Organization of American States in the presence of Secretary General Luis Almagro and representatives of the member states. Finally, he will head to Congress for a series of key meetings with leaders of the US Parliament. Among them, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, the third highest ranking in the American legal system, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, Bob Menéndez.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
