There was indeed a positive signal between Antonio Tajani and Marco Rubio, respectively Italy’s Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State. After days of tension between Europe and the United States, Rubio opens a dialogue front with Italy, a country with a friendly government but also a strong role within the European Union.

Tajani expressed satisfaction with the bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting hosted by Canada: “We talked about the new situation on the commercial front, even though he is not the Minister of Foreign Trade. I said we must avoid any trade wars because they do no good for anyone, and we are ready to engage in dialogue. As Italians, we will do our part in Europe too, because the solution must be dialogue. There are solutions that can be found, and I believe the United States wants to engage with Italy on matters within our competence.”

Even from the Secretary of State’s offices, there’s recognition of Italy’s role. Marco Rubio “emphasized the importance of the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Italy,” according to a statement from the department, adding that the two foreign ministers “discussed the need to increase the burden-sharing among all NATO allies and to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.” The document also mentions a discussion on tariffs, focusing on the “balance of trade relations,” with a common stance on the “fight against authoritarianism in Venezuela and the stabilization of the situation in the Middle East.”