United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to outgoing Italian Premier Mario Draghi on Thursday and thanked him for the contribution he has made to the international arena while at the helm of the Italian government.
“Great to speak with Prime Minister Draghi this morning about our close and enduring partnership with Italy,” Blinken said via Twitter.
“I thanked him on behalf of the United States for his leadership through a critical moment in European and world history.”
A State Department statement added that Blinken thanked Draghi specifically for Italy's strong support of Ukraine.
“The Secretary underscored the importance of maintaining solidarity and resilience in the face of Russia's efforts to use energy and other means to divide countries that support Ukraine," the statement said.
The statement also said that Blinken stressed Washington's “commitment to working with the next Italian government on our broad range shared interests".
Italy is holding a general election on September 25.
