The Foreign Minister travels to Rome to meet her counterpart and both agree to strengthen bilateral cooperation
France is trying to get closer over the administration of Italy following the recent diplomatic crisis between the two countries migration flows. The French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnatraveled to Rome this Thursday to meet his counterpart Antonio Tajani and try to calm the situation, roiled after a few weeks ago French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused the Italian Prime Minister of Giorgia Melonithat he “can’t handle the problem of immigration”.
Tajani should have traveled to Paris at the time, but canceled the visit after Darmanin said. He called them unacceptable and asked for an apology, which took the form of a visit. It was Colonna, who was ambassador to Rome between 2014 and 2017, who eventually traveled to the neighboring country to meet with Tajani.
Today was a “Friendly meeting”, according to the statement by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A meeting that “confirmed the full importance of Franco-Italian cooperation in addressing the challenges facing the two countries”. Also “before migration challenge with which Italy sees itself confronted as the entry country of the rivers”, both ministers have agreed to strengthen their bilateral cooperation at European level and are planning an early meeting in Paris.
Tensions between the two countries, which share a border, are frequent but have worsened since Giorgia Meloni came to power last autumn. Controversy erupted in November when France opted to host a ship full of immigrants that Italy had turned away from its port. Accusations have already been exchanged: Paris said Rome had not supported each other and Meloni criticized the neighboring country’s “overreaction”.
Darmanin tightened the rope. Three weeks ago he said Meloni was “incapable of solving the immigration problem for which she was elected” and compared her to the far-right leader Marine LePen.
Rome has declared a state of emergency in response to the massive influx of immigrants to its shores. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, half of them are 46,000 illegals The sea that has landed on its shores since the beginning of the year comes from French-speaking countries such as Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast or Tunisia. That means their final destination is France.
The fact that Colonna was ambassador to Rome will add some reassurance, although she herself admitted this week that “it is true that there was a moment of unrest Surprised at the statements made. “We explained each other afterwards,” he told France 2 two days ago.
At the last summit in Reykjavik, Iceland a few weeks ago, the French President said, Emmanuel Macron, admitted the EU must help Italy manage the flows. “The Italian people are under pressure as a country of arrival (of the flows). a very strong migratory pressure. We cannot leave Italy alone.”
According to the criteria of the Trust Project
Learn more