German Minister for Research, Technology and Aerospace Dorothee Baer (L) and Italy's Ministerof University and Research, Annamaria Bernini (R) shake hands under the eyes of Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (2ndR) and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (top L) after signing bilateral agreements on strategic cooperation after an Intergovernmental summit between Italy and Germany, at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome on January 23, 2026. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images)