Rome, August 29 (AKI) "Chemistry" between Italy's populist Premier Giuseppe Conte and US President Donald Trump has helped them build a "serious and consolidated" relationship" since Conte took office last year, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.

The glowing praise that Trump bestowed on Conte in a tweet was not "an endorsement due to positions they shared at the last G7 summit" but the result of "getting to know each other," a source told AKI.

"They have a serious and consolidated relationship...chemistry inevitably plays a role in this," the source underlined.

Conte had been "surprised" and "very proud" to read Trump's accolades, the source said.

In the tweet, Trump hailed Conte as a "very talented man", patriot and "highly respected prime minister" who "works well with the US" and "represented Italy powerfully at the G7".

--IANS/AKI
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