- Title: Pompeo offered piece of Parmesan cheese as he meets Italy's Conte
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE POMPEO, SHAKING HANDS WITH ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIUSEPPE CONTE / JOURNALIST OFFERING POMPEO A PIECE OF PARMESAN CHEESE POMPEO SMILING AND HOLDING PIECE OF PARMESAN CHEESE / MEMBERS OF SECURITY ESCORTING JOURNALIST / CONTE GIVING PIECE OF PARMESAN CHEESE TO MEMBER OF STAFF / (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CONTE SAYING: "You see, this is the way to prove to be Italian. Leave it to me the task to be Prime Minister, you can go outside." / CONTE AND POMPEO SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS CONTE AND POMPEO SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND SHAKING HANDS / CLOSE-UP OF HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIUSEPPE CONTE, SAYING: "Can I ask you to escort the young lady out? She is not welcome anymore. Please escort her out. Show respect when you are a guest in someone else's house." CONTE AND POMPEO LEAVING
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 16:35
- Keywords: Italy EU imports tariff hikes Rome politics U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo impeachment probe Parmigiano cheese Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- City: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9NHAF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday (October 1) met Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, receiving a warm welcome and a piece of cheese.
Italian journalist Alice Martinelli from the television commentary program 'Le Iene' approached Pompeo just after the handshake between the two leaders to offer him a piece of Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, an Italian product that would be affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration potential new tariffs on EU products in a major trade war escalation.
Martinelli asked Pompeo to take the gift back to the U.S. President so he could understand how good Italian products were for himself.
Conte did not like the unexpected gift and asked the security to escort Martinelli out of the building, scolding the journalist for her lack of respect as Pompeo smiled by his side.
During his four day trip Pompeo, whose father is of Italian ancestry, is expected to meet with the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and speak at a symposium at the Vatican.
(Production: Antonio Denti, Cristiano Corvino, Fabiano Franchitti) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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