July 30 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said was scheduled to hold a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday afternoon at the White House.
The event was set to take place at 2 p.m. EDT in the Rose Garden.
This is Conte's first visit to the White House since his June election, though he and Trump met last month during a G7 summit in Canada.
During their meeting before Monday's news conference, Trump praised Conte for his hard stance on immigration. Since his election, Italy has refused to allow a number of migrant rescue ships to dock in Italy.
The United States said that in the first half of this year, more than 18,000 migrants arrived in Italy, a more than 80 percent drop compared to the same time period in 2016.
"Italy has taken a very firm stance on the border, a stance that few countries have taken," Trump said. "Frankly you're doing the right thing in my opinion."