Italy's Giorgia Meloni and France's Emmanuel Macron met Tuesday in Rome, seeking to reconcile their differences as they confront common challenges, notably US tariffs and the Ukraine war.
The far-right prime minister welcomed the centrist French president to her Palazzo Chigi office, the pair kissing lightly on the cheek and both smiling.
A guard of honour played both national anthems before the two European rivals headed inside for talks and a dinner, with no plans to speak to the press.
They are not natural political allies, but as the leaders of the EU's second- and third-largest economies, they are both grappling with the fall-out from the war in Ukraine, as well as US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs against the bloc.
Meloni on Friday acknowledged "divergences" with Macron but denied she had any "personal problems" with him, and said she was "very happy" with the visit.
An Italian government source said Rome and Paris hoped to "lay the foundations for a further strengthening of relations" between two nations "on the front line of the various fronts of international politics".
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