in May 1945. 21st century Nowadays, Italy and Spain are full member countries of the European Union (EU), the NATO, and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Bilateral relations between the two countries are very close, both due to the historical ties that unite them and due to their membership of the EU. Also, meetings between governments and at the business level are frequent. All this is reflected in economic exchanges marked by a very significant weight. Diplomatic relations under the EU have been mired by underlying issues of common mistrust between both countries; cultural proximity and common challenges notwithstanding. They underwent a period of "freezing cold" during the simultaneous premierships of Mariano Rajoy and Matteo Renzi, who did not get along on a personal level. Both governments outlined plans for the empowerment of a Madrid-Rome axis vis-à-vis EU negotiations of Post-COVID19 reconstruction during the Second cabinet of Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte, with Pedro Sánchez as his Spanish counterpart. The arrival of Mario Draghi to Italian premiership set however further distance between the position of both countries, contrasting to the hitherto "relative alignment" cultivated by Conte. In November 2021, Italian President Sergio Mattarella made a state visit to Spain, and was received by King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace of Madrid. In January 2022, Spain proposed to Italy the signing of a Friendship Treaty between the two countries. Also, Spanish foreign minister Albares proposed to his Italian counterpart Di Maio the "relaunch" of the relationship between the parliaments of Spain and Italy and raised the prospect of creating an investment forum between companies from both countries pertaining projects making use of EU funds. In November, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, stated that cooperation on energy, "real economy" and immigration will continue, strengthening bilateral relations within the common framework of the EU and NATO. Cultural exchange During the Age of Discovery, famous Italian explorers and travelers were part of modern Spanish history, such as Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus or Francesco Guicciardini. A Eurostat publication in 2016, estimated that 187,847 Italian citizens live in Spain and 19,094 Spanish citizens live in Italy. Resident diplomatic missions Italy has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate-general in Barcelona. Spain has an embassy in Rome and consulates-general in Milan and Naples. See also Foreign relations of Italy Foreign relations of Spain Spanish–Italian Amphibious Battlegroup References Bibliography Albanese, Matteo, and Pablo Del Hierro.