Italy and Germany enjoy a "very special" relationship, Germany's president Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a visit to Rome on Thursday.
"The Italo-German ties are very special," Steinmeier said after a meeting at the Quirinale Palace with Italy's head of state Sergio Mattarella and foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
As two of its founder members Italy and Germany also have a "special" responsibility towards the European Union, Steinmeier said.
"Italy and Germany have a special responsibility to guarantee that the foundations of the European project are not damaged," he said.
