WASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2024 (BSS/AFP)- US President Joe Biden will travel to Italy next month to meet separately with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis, the White House said Thursday, in what will likely be his last overseas trip before leaving office.

The January 9-12 visit is aimed at strengthening US-Italy relations and thanking Meloni for her "strong leadership of the G7 over the past year," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Biden, a devout Catholic, will have an audience with Pope Francis and "discuss efforts to advance peace around the world," Jean-Pierre said.

The president spoke to the pontiff by phone on Thursday and thanked him for his "continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering," according to the White House.

Biden's Italy trip will come days before he hands over the keys to the White House to Republican Donald Trump, whose term is expected to mark a shift in US diplomacy.

Italy's far-right premier Meloni, who was elected in 2022, congratulated Trump following his victory in November's presidential election and hailed "unshakable" ties between the two nations.