President-elect Trump meets Italian PM Meloni at Mar-a-Lago

Ms Meloni follows Argentina President Javier Milei, who became the first world leader to meet with Mr Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his election victory in November.

ROME, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Dec 29) praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who visited him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and said she had "taken Europe by storm".

Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, is visiting the United States for the first time since becoming prime minister in October. Her trip comes amid heightened tensions between Italy and Iran over the arrest of an Iranian businessman in Milan and an Italian journalist in Tehran.

Trump, a Republican who left office in January 2021 after losing to Democrat Joe Biden, appeared at a screening of a documentary detailing challenges some conservative lawyers report facing in the legal system.

“I’m here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy. She’s really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we’re just having dinner tonight,” Trump told the crowd of Meloni.

“This is very exciting. I think you’re going to like her a lot. She’s a great friend of mine, and she’s a friend of our country, and we appreciate it very much, Giorgia.”

Meloni, who was seated next to Trump, smiled and waved at the audience.

The former president watched a screening of the documentary with Meloni and his pick for the incoming administration’s secretary of state, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, as well as Florida Representative Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice for national security adviser, and his nomination to head the Treasury Department, Scott Bessent.

Meloni's visit to Mar-a-Lago follows that of Argentina President Javier Milei, who became the first world leader to meet with Trump at the resort after his election victory in November.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary have also travelled to Florida to meet the president-elect.

Trump has been teasing a 2024 presidential run for months and is expected to announce his decision in the coming weeks.

Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.