The President of the United States on the left with his wife Jill beside him and the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on the right with his wife Maria Serenella Cappello beside him
An hour face to face at Palazzo Chigi to "reaffirm the strength of bilateral relations between the USA and Italy" and reaffirm the unity of purpose in facing global challenges, from the fight against the pandemic to the fight against climate change, from the relaunch of economy to the strengthening of the "rules-based" multilateral system. Mario Draghi and Joe Biden meet at Palazzo Chigi on the sidelines of the G20 proceedings which will officially open tomorrow, and reaffirm the close link between Rome and Washington on the main international dossiers.
"You are doing an extraordinary job - Biden told Draghi according to Palazzo Chigi - we must demonstrate that democracies can work and that we can produce a new economic model. You are doing it". The two leaders affirmed "their unwavering commitment to bilateral relations and the transatlantic link, including through NATO - the White House said - and underlined the importance of the US-EU partnership, including the ongoing work to ensure that the rules governing the 21st century economy are based on shared democratic values ".
Biden and Draghi: agreement on minimum tax and clean energy
Rome emphasizes the shared need to develop "a European defense also for transatlantic security, in a relationship of complementarity". This is a key step, which significantly affects the delicate balance between the EU and NATO and is part of Draghi's repeated requests to European partners to do more to build a self-sufficient common European defense capable of facing global challenges. Biden's support on this point is fundamental and the meeting, if confirmed by the facts, ensures solid support for the Italian line. That the meeting between Biden and Draghi is not to be considered only an "exchange of courtesies", writes the New York Times, underlining that "with the departure of Angela Merkel and with Macron struggling with political difficulties, Draghi he emerged as the leader of Europe and potentially as a key interlocutor for an American president who aims to maintain strong alliances on the continent ". And in fact, the White House leaks Biden's words that he thanks Draghi and Italy for "for his personal leadership of the G20 during a year of global challenges" and "for all that Italy has done to support the people. Afghan, including by convening an extraordinary session of the G20 to address the efforts against terrorism and humanitarian aid, temporarily hosting over 4,000 Afghans on their way to the United States last August ". Finally, Draghi and Biden defined the agreement on a global minimum tax as "historic", they also discussed the "security challenges in the Mediterranean Sea region and reaffirmed the importance of NATO's efforts to dissuade and defend itself from threats from any direction".
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