The following is the text of a joint statement by the Governments of the United States of America and Italy.

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Italy and the United States strengthened their ongoing commitment to the bilateral relationship during the Second Senior Officials Plenary Meeting of the Italy-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome, January 8-9, 2020. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte launched the Dialogue at the White House on July 30, 2018 to focus on improving security and stabilization efforts in the Mediterranean region.

Italy and the United States are committed to further enhance their longstanding cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral, towards global security and stability. Senior interagency representatives from both Italy and the United States participated in the two-day session. Officials met for working group meetings on January 8th and for a plenary session and a working lunch hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Italy Lewis M. Eisenberg on January 9th.

Italy and the United States discussed the following areas of partnership: addressing regional crises, in particular by urging all parties in Libya to de-escalate military activity and forge a political solution that will benefit all Libyans; countering terrorist threats to Europe and the United States; supporting security and defense cooperation in the Mediterranean region, including enhanced NATO engagement in the region and with the countries in the Sahel; strengthening energy security in Europe; and addressing other global strategic concerns, especially the challenges posed by countries that do not share the U.S. and Italian commitment to the principles of democracy, individual freedom, the rule of law and human rights.

At the close of this session of the Strategic Dialogue, Italy and the United States reaffirmed their ongoing pledge to deepening the U.S.-Italian partnership.

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