Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Italian Senate President Pietro Grasso

Vice President Biden met this morning with the Senator Pietro Grasso, President of the Italian Senate. The two leaders discussed their shared commitments to countering terrorism and organized crime, strengthening regional security from North Africa to Afghanistan, and creating new jobs and economic growth on both side of the Atlantic, including through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The Vice President affirmed that the U.S. partnership with Italy is one of the strongest links between the United States and Europe and praised Senator Grasso for his vision in helping prioritize and advance those legislative reforms that would put Italy on a path of growth and stability. The Vice President and Senator Grasso also discussed recent reports of alleged U.S. intelligence activities. The Vice President made clear that the Administration is reviewing the way that we gather intelligence to ensure that we properly balance protecting the security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that all people share.