US, Italy sign critical minerals agreement in New York

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani signed a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals at a ceremony Monday in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Speaking at the signing, Rubio described Italy as "a great partner" and said the two countries work very closely together on the issue of critical minerals, which he said is under constant consideration.

"He's the deputy prime minister and has become a good friend," he said of Tajani, adding that Washington wants to continue working with Rome.

Saying that the agreement is a key point for Italy's strategy and industrial policy, Tajani noted that Italy is the second-largest industrial country in Europe and ranks fourth in the world in trade.

"The prices of our raw materials are very, very important for us," he said, adding that Italy wants to compete at the international level and that lower raw material prices are important for that goal.

"Today with the United States, we are going a leap forward, a very important one," he said.