Washington, Oct 16 (IANS/AKI): Italy's President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday lauded his country's "solid" relations with the US during a meeting with American counterpart Donald Trump in Washington, and urged dialogue on international trade.

"Italy has solid ties with the US that are based on human relationships not merely the transatlantic one," Mattarella told Trump during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House.

Apparently referring to a looming trade war between the US and the European Union, he urged "a frank and constructive dialogue" in order to avoid "retaliation".

Mattarella's comments came after the World Trade Organisation this week approved US trade sanctions on up to $7.5 billion of EU goods after a ruling that European plane maker Airbus received illegal subsidies.

Trump's administration plans to impose the sanctions starting on Friday. Meanwhile the EU has already published a preliminary list of US goods that it would target with $12 billion of retaliatory levies related to the Boeing case.