(Bloomberg) -- Giorgia Meloni met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul Saturday, the Italian premier’s first official trip overseas after her nation took the presidency of the Group of 7 countries.

The two governments are aiming to boost the value of trade between their countries to €30 billion ($32.7 billion) by 2030 from around €25 billion currently, according to an official briefed on the talks. Defense deals could include Italy’s Leonardo SpA, which works on aerospace and security globally.  

Migration was also on the agenda, with both countries looking at a deal with Libya to strengthen collaboration, the person said. According to Italian media, the three nations could sign a deal on migration before summer. 

The visit by Meloni, which took in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, follows a string of informal talks between the two officials on the sidelines of international meetings in Bali, Vilnius, New York and Dubai.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.