Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini on Thursday said he wants to strengthen ties between Italy and Saudi Arabia - a "reliable partner and bulwark of stability" - and plans to visit the Gulf state later this year.
"Saudi Arabia is reliable partner and a bulwark of stability, in its bilateral relations and the Middle East region," Salvini said in a statement after meeting ambassador Faisal Bin Sattam Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in Rome.
Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, said he intended to give fresh impetus to relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia.
"I want to re-launch constructive dialogue not just on security but in the economic, trade and cultural sectors," Salvini stated.
Salvini said he plans to visit the Kingdom by the end of the year, the statement said.
