President Obama will welcome the president of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Enrico Letta, to the White House on Oct. 16, the White House announced on Thursday. \"The visit will highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, among the strongest bonds tying together the United States and Europe,\" the statement said. Obama and Letta will discuss promoting economic growth and new jobs, their support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, cooperation within NATO, shared challenges in North Africa and the Middle East, and other topics of mutual interest, it said