Italy: British PM to attend Rome event staged by PM Meloni

Rome: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend a political event in Rome on Saturday organised by the right-wing party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which is also due to host billionaire businessman Elon Musk.

Meloni’s office said she would see Sunak late on Saturday morning, the same time that Musk has said he will take part in a session at the Atreju festival, a four-day gathering which is being held near the Vatican.

Among other politicians set to attend are Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Spanish far-right leader Santiago Abascal.

Meloni and Sunak have a close political relationship which has flourished over the past year, with both leaders seeking unorthodox responses to an influx of migrants. Meloni last month struck a deal to dispatch some migrants to Albania, while Sunak is looking to send a number of asylum seekers to Rwanda. The two leaders have also forged ties with Musk.

Sunak had a question-and-answer session with Musk at a summit on artificial intelligence organised by London last month, while the Tesla and SpaceX founder met Meloni in Rome over the summer.

The Atreju festival, which has been running since 1998, is named after the central character in the fantasy book and film “The Neverending Story”.