In the ancient world, all roads led to Rome. In the post-Cold War world, all roads led to Washington. Now it’s starting to look like a two-way street.

While Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni already has street cred as Europe’s most successful rising conservative leader, she strengthened her country’s increasingly strong relationships with leaders in Washington on both sides of the aisle during her recent trip here.

More specifically, Ms. Meloni met with President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. All gave her agenda a thumbs-up.

That agenda encompasses getting tough on what Mr. McCarthy called “rising aggression from Communist China” in Europe, supporting Ukraine and seeking an end to the war there, prioritizing the stability of the Mediterranean, and working toward improving cooperation with African nations.

>>> Italy’s Crucial Leadership in the Mediterranean

Together, Ms. Meloni hopes these initiatives, along with cooperation on trade and space, will help power up the Italian economy, particularly in the southern part of the country.

Ms. Meloni’s warm welcome should come as no surprise. Despite being labeled a fascist by some in the American media, Ms. Meloni has already begun to make many commonsense reforms that are amenable to Democrats and Republicans here in the United States.

For example, Ms. Meloni confirmed that she is ready to pull the plug on the 2019 memorandum of understanding that made Italy part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Doing so would signal the death knell for Beijing’s marquee project in Europe and would certainly be applauded in Washington.

The same can be said for Ms. Meloni’s support for Taiwan, which significantly angered the Chinese Embassy in Italy, and for her moves this past March to strengthen Italy’s relations with India, one of the United States’ main partners working to contain Beijing’s political and military influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

After years of Italy‘s 5-Star Movement and our Democratic Party bringing Rome closer to Beijing, this is a complete and dramatic reversal of Italian policy, one that Washington welcomes.

Moreover, with the potential alliance between the European Conservatives and Reformists and European People’s Party factions in the European Parliament, Ms. Meloni is poised to be a more important European leader with real heft in trans-Atlantic politics.

Indeed, Ms. Meloni is pressing for the alliance ahead of the European elections of 2024, so this partnership could command the majority of the parliament. That would be unprecedented since no single group has ever held a majority.

It’s no wonder that politicians in Washington are making nice.

Ms. Meloni, of course, would also benefit from a strong partnership with the United States. For starters, if Rome does not renew the Belt and Road Initiative deal, it will most likely face retaliation from Beijing. Washington, perhaps in partnership with New Delhi, will have to step up and support Italy in the investment sector.

>>> Italy Should Unbuckle From China’s Belt and Road

Ms. Meloni urgently needs a stable Mediterranean, starting with Tunisia and Libya. Even if the International Monetary Fund unblocks the $1.9 billion loan aimed at supporting the Tunisian economy—which, given that growing Sino-Russian influence in North Africa has already put pressure on NATO’s southern flank, could be necessary to avoid pushing Tunis into the arms of Moscow and Beijing—that’s not enough.

The U.S. and Italy must press Tunis to get its economy back on track and bring good governance to the fore. Key allies, including Spain and France, will also have to cooperate and are much more likely to do so at Washington’s urging.

The same is true for Libya, where joint international cooperation is even more crucial.

Ms. Meloni’s warm reception in Washington bodes well for both countries.

With Ms. Meloni making all the right moves in Rome and set to take on a bigger leadership role in Europe, support from the United States can help ensure a stronger Italy, a more secure Mediterranean, an end to the conflict in Ukraine, and a Europe that stands free against China’s aggression.