Rubio travels to Italy to mend relations following Trump's conflict with the Pope and Meloni

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome this week for a series of meetings with representatives of the Vatican and the Italian government. The trip takes place against a backdrop of strained relations between the countries. This was reported by Corriere della Sera, according to UNN.

Details

According to the publication, Marco Rubio is scheduled to hold several talks on Thursday and Friday. In particular, meetings are planned with the Holy See's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Pope Francis.

He will also meet with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and hold a luncheon with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. In addition, a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has not been ruled out.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of statements by Donald Trump, who has previously criticized the Italian government and its leader. He also made sharp remarks addressed to the Pope, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign policy."

In response, the Pope stated: "I am not a politician, I will continue to speak out against war."

It is reported that Rubio intends to facilitate a "thaw" in bilateral relations and act as a mediator in establishing contacts. It is expected that the further development of the dialogue could influence the interaction between the parties ahead of international meetings, including the G7 summit.

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