MILAN — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her unwavering support for her friendship with U.S. tech mogul Elon Musk on Wednesday, assuring lawmakers that her policies would not be swayed by his business interests.

During a routine parliamentary session held prior to an upcoming European Union summit in Brussels, Meloni stated, “It is possible for me to maintain a friendship with Elon Musk while simultaneously leading the first Italian government to establish a new law regulating private space activities.”

Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has frequently engaged with Musk, who is known for his roles with Tesla and SpaceX, as she hopes to attract more investments to Italy. This summer, her administration sanctioned a framework that allows foreign space enterprises to operate within Italy, a move projected to bring in approximately 7.3 billion euros (around $7.7 billion) in investments by 2026.

She took the opportunity to critique her predecessors, pointing out that prior Italian leaders who believed they had strong ties with foreign leaders often found themselves strictly adhering to their dictates.

Meloni emphasized that although she has fostered solid relationships with various individuals, she operates independently, stating, “I don’t take orders from anyone.”

The dynamics of Meloni and Musk’s friendship have garnered considerable attention. In September of last year, Musk publicly denied any romantic involvement after a photograph of the two, appearing affectionate at a prestigious event in New York, gained notoriety. At that event, Musk honored Meloni with an award.

Musk was also present at a gathering for the youth wing of Meloni’s political party in Italy last year. Recently, he took to X, the social media platform he oversees, to criticize an Italian court ruling that has hindered Meloni’s efforts to screen migrants rescued at sea in Albania, an action that provoked a strong response from Italy’s president.