Musk's European tour kicks off with high-level meetings in Rome

ROME, June 15 (Xinhua) --

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday met with billionaire technology entrepreneur Elon Musk in Rome to discuss an array of issues including the deregulation of the European Union (EU) single market, access to EU markets for tech companies and the risks of artificial intelligence.

Earlier in the day, Musk met with Antonio Tajani, Italy's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation. They discussed strategies related to the automotive and aerospace sectors and to cyber-security.

Musk is the founder of electric car maker Tesla and rocket and spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX, and he also controls social media giant Twitter.

During his European tour, Musk is also expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday before he addresses the Viva Technology 2023 Conference on Friday at the Dome de Paris.

Musk has had several clashes with European Union authorities in recent months.

Three weeks ago, Musk pulled Twitter from the European Union's anti-disinformation agreement, which establishes requirements for monitoring and flagging disinformation posted on social media sites as of August.

Recent changes in EU climate and energy regulations might create new opportunities for Musk's enterprises. Last year, the EU announced that it would ban the sale of new gasoline- or diesel-powered cars in the bloc starting in 2035. The announcement boosted the value of Tesla, which is the world's largest producer of electric vehicles, according to Royale International.

In February, the European Commission said it would look into the possibility of teaming up with Musk's SpaceX to launch next-generation European navigation satellites amid delays in the rollout of Europe's Ariane rocket systems.