Giorgia Meloni to meet Czech PM Andrej Babiš in Prague

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is due in Prague on Tuesday for talks with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. They are expected to discuss EU competitiveness, the bloc’s next long-term budget, European security and a Czech-Italian cooperation plan through 2030, covering areas including defence, energy security, migration, science and education.

The talks are also expected to cover EU emissions trading rules, measures to curb energy and fuel prices, and plans for a Czech-Italian cultural year in 2027 and 2028. Italy is Czechia’s sixth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding CTK 438 billion last year.

Meloni last visited Prague in 2023, when she met then-Prime Minister Petr Fiala to discuss defence, energy security, culture and space technology. She met Babiš in Rome in February, while Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited Czechia in April for talks with President Petr Pavel.