President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump had a brief conversation in Rome during the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis and agreed to organise an official meeting in the near future. This was announced by a representative of the European Commission, Euronews reports.
The published footage shows Donald Trump, along with his wife Melania and other world leaders, warmly greeting Ursula von der Leyen and having a brief but friendly conversation.
This is the first face-to-face interaction between Trump and von der Leyen since Trump returned to the White House in January. Earlier, European Commission officials had been trying to organise a bilateral meeting for several months, but the talks remained inconclusive.
Details of the upcoming meeting
According to representatives of the European Commission, the upcoming official meeting will not take place in Rome – the place and date of the talks are currently being specified. Brussels has not yet commented on whether Donald Trump has received an official invitation to Brussels.
Before going to Italy, the European Commission stressed that it was ready to use every opportunity for direct contact with the American president.
Background: world leaders in Rome
The funeral of Pope Francis, which brought dozens of world leaders to the Vatican, provided the basis for informal interaction. This unique context facilitated a number of important diplomatic contacts, including a meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky in Rome was the first since their tense conversation at the White House in February.
