Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, officials from her office said yesterday, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
Meloni already visited Trump earlier this month at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, earning praise from the Republican billionaire, who called her a “fantastic woman“.
Trump set a precedent by inviting several foreign leaders to his inauguration. This is not usually the case for security reasons, and only senior diplomats are expected to attend the ceremony.
In addition to Meloni, Argentine President Javier Milley, another staunch Trump supporter, will also attend the ceremony. However, another supporter, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, will not attend, his spokesman said this week.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will also not travel to the event, but will send Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
Meloni's supporters hope that the conservative Italian prime minister will establish close relations with Trump over the next four years and become a bridge between Europe and the United States.
Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams said he had a productive meeting with Republican President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday. in Florida, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The two discussed how the federal government can help improve the lives of residents of the metropolis and its economy, Reuters reported.
Adams, who visited Trump at his estate “Mar a Lago“ three days before the Republican president-elect took office, said the two had not discussed the federal corruption charges against the mayor and the upcoming trial.
“President Trump and I had a productive conversation about the needs of New York and what is best for the city,“ Adams said in a statement.
“I want to be very clear, we did not discuss my trial, and those who are suggesting that the mayor of the largest city in the country should not meet with the president-elect and discuss our city's priorities just because we are from different parties, simply care more about politics than about the people,“ Adams added.
Trump's spokesmen did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Adams said the two discussed federal investment in the city's infrastructure and ideas for encouraging businesses to creates new jobs in New York with an emphasis on the “Bronx“ - one of the five electoral districts of the metropolis, which also has the most ethnically diverse population.