Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday he respected United States president Donald Trump and understood his 'America First' policy but didn't agree with his protectionist stance on trade or his views on migration and climate change.
"I totally respect the fact that he (Trump) was elected with the idea of putting America first, and he is trying to deliver in this direction," Gentiloni told US television channel CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"But, we the Europeans, we the Italians, have to stress the fact that respecting and protecting the interest of US citizens, which is correct, cannot mean that we discuss the framework of international trade relations, for example, that have been demonstrated to be so useful for growth."
Italy was ready and willing to cooperate with Trump, but to weaken trade relations would be a mistake, Gentiloni stressed.
"The framework of this discussion should remain the support for openness, for free trade, for agreements, and not protectionism."
Gentiloni's comments come after it was announced Monday that Trump approved tariffs on imported solar cells and certain washing machines, to the alarm of global powers like China, India - whose premier warned the US over its increasingly isolationist and protectionist stance on trade.
Italy has long cooperated with the US, Gentiloni said, underlining that he did not share Trump's controversial views on migration and climate change. Europe had to focus on its own affairs Gentiloni stated.
"We always have to remember that we, the Italians, have always cooperated with the US," he said.
"(But) we need multilateral and transatlantic cooperation, because it worked, and to weaken this cooperation would be a mistake."
Europe should use 2018 "to relaunch our role" in the world, Gentiloni said.
