From 25 to 27 January, the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia, as part of the Italian Government’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with Gulf countries on issues of common interest.
President Meloni met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, in Al-Ula today. During the meeting, the two leaders signed a joint declaration to elevate bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership, launching structured cooperation. The initiatives agreed upon include the organisation of a sector-focused business forum in the coming months and the launch of a process to define an action plan with shared priorities.
During their discussion, President Meloni and Crown Prince and Prime Minister bin Salman had an exchange of views on a range of major global and regional issues, also in the context of the relations between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Among the topics they discussed:
- the pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine;
- consolidation of the ceasefire in Gaza and resumption of a political process towards a two-state solution;
- support for an inclusive political process in Syria and reconstruction efforts;
- assistance to Lebanon;
- an approach to the energy transition based on technological neutrality and network interconnections;
- development of data centres and joint initiatives for sustainable progress in Africa.
President Meloni also participated in a round table with public and private sector representatives from both countries, during which several agreements were signed at both government and private level. These agreements relate to the economic sector and the enhancement of cultural heritage. Private sector agreements were also signed regarding cooperation in Africa, in line with the Mattei Plan.
During her visit, President Meloni also stopped in Jeddah, where she visited the Italian Navy’s ‘Vespucci’ ship and greeted the crew. For the first time in its history, this training ship has stopped in Saudi Arabia, as part of its voyage around the world which began on 1 July 2023 and will come to a close on 10 June this year, after visiting 33 ports in 28 nations across 5 continents.