Telephone conversation with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham

The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham.

President Meloni expressed her congratulations and best wishes for his new appointment and underlined her will to further strengthen the solid collaboration and excellent bilateral relations between Rome and London.

President Meloni and Prime Minister Burnham agreed on the need to make every effort towards a de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, with particular reference to the issue of freedom of navigation, and reaffirmed their determination to continue supporting Ukraine, working to reach a just and lasting peace.

During the call, the two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the progress of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). In this regard, they underscored the importance of the recent meeting between the Defence Ministers of Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan, which Canada attended for the first time as an observer, confirming the centrality of this joint technological and industrial programme.

President Meloni and Prime Minister Burnham then agreed to maintain close contact ahead of the EU-UK Summit, expressing their hope that the event will provide an important opportunity to give fresh impetus to EU-UK cooperation.

In closing, President Meloni invited Prime Minister Burnham to pay a working visit to Rome in the near future.