Washington (USA), April 17 (LaPresse) – Giorgia Meloni can be a "bridge" for trade negotiations between the United States and the European Union. This was emphasized by a senior official from the Trump Administration during a briefing with a small group of journalists. "Italy is a strong partner for the United States, an important market for us. So I'm sure that in their discussions today, President Trump will not only focus on how to open the Italian market but also on how to help us with the rest of Europe," said the official, ahead of today's bilateral meeting between the Italian Prime Minister and the U.S. President. "There are eight countries that do not meet the 2% threshold out of 31 NATO members, and unfortunately, Italy is one of them. Italy spent about 1.49% of its GDP on defense last year, and I believe this issue will be addressed; it is expected to increase by about a tenth of a percentage point this year," the U.S. official added.