Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and his Saudi counterpart signed a bilateral strategic dialogue accord during a two-day visit to the Middle East aimed at bolstering Italy's business ties with the region, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The inking of the Memorandum of Understanding came at the end of Di Maio's meeting with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, the statement said.
While in Saudi Arabia, Di Maio also held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, according to the statement.
"The talks focused on the Italian Presidency of the G20 and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as strengthening economic and trade relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia," the statement said.
Di Maio's trip to the region also included a stop in Jordan.