Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani gave United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio a family tree tracing his Piedmontese origins during their meeting at the foreign ministry in Rome on Friday.

“It’s a special moment to receive all this information, and it’s an incredible experience and one more reason to return soon, visit the region, learn about it, and connect with the past, hoping it will also serve as inspiration for how we can work together in the future,” Rubio said.

Rubio, whose parents were Cubans of Spanish and Italian descent and who speaks Spanish, added that he would now try to learn Italian.

“My subscription to (language-learning app) Babbel has expired, so I have to renew it,” he said.

“I understand it (Italian) perfectly.

“At the meetings we attend together, I don’t even use headphones,” he added, referring to Tajani, who was standing next to him.

“I understand it perfectly.

“I need to learn a third language, and this is by far the easiest.

“So next time I come back and am in the region, I will give a speech in Italian”.