9 hours agoMellon holds talks between Von der Leenen and JD Vance
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melon organised transatlantic talks between the US Vice President, JD Vance and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday in Rome. The discussion was meant to help advance trade talks between the US and the EU, and von der Leeyen said he hoped this would mark the “a beginning of [...]
The discussion was meant to help advance trade talks between the US and the EU, and von der Leyen said he hoped this would mark “a new beginning” in international relations between the two blocs, Telegrafi broadcast.
During Vance's opening remarks, he called Europe “an important ally” even though they “have some disagreements, as friends sometimes have, on issues such as trade”.
Von der Leyen underlined the important trade partnership between the two sides: “Actually, we have the world's largest trade relationship, with more than $1.5 trillion a year, very interlocked”.
The chief of the EU Commission added: “Everyone knows that the devil is hiding in detail, but what unites us is that in the end we want, together, to have a good deal for both sides”
It also used the moment to put Ukraine on the table, and to thank the US for their commitment to the desire to end the war in Ukraine.
What's important now is of course that we push forward, that things move forward and I think the next week will be crucial for this”, Von der Leyeen added.
Beyond Ukraine, the last issue raised was protection. Von der Leyen acknowledged the need for EU member states to increase investment in defence, saying the European Commission has taken steps to facilitate this.
This is why, like the Commission, we have enabled use of up to 800 billion euros in the next four years for defence investment”, she added.
Mellon, von der Leyen and Vance had all attended Pope Leo XIV's inauguration mass in the Vatican. /Periscope/
