Italy’s foreign minister praises ties with France after political spat

Italy’s foreign minister praises ties with France after political spat

Antonio Tajani and Catherine Colonna discuss bilateral and regional matters, including war in Ukraine

By Baris Seckin and Nur Asena Erturk

ROME/ANKARA (AA) - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday that cooperation between Italy and France is essential to tackle prevailing crises.

Tajani met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Rome for the first time following a row between their two countries over migration.

He had canceled an official visit to Paris in early May after remarks by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Rome’s migration policy.

“Italy and France share interests and responsibilities in the EU and the world. Our cooperation is essential to solve the current crises, starting with the migration crisis," Tajani said on Twitter.

In a statement, the Italian Foreign Ministry said the meeting between Tajani and Colonna, which was held in a positive atmosphere, came after talks between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron at the G-7 summit earlier this month in Japan.

During their meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed bilateral, regional and international issues including migration, the latest developments in Tunisia and the war in Ukraine as well as the modernization of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, a highway tunnel between France and Italy.

According to the ministry, Tajani told Colonna that the extradition of members of the Red Brigades terror group is another important issue for Italy. In March, a French court rejected the extradition of 10 far-left terrorists to Italy.

- Migration row with Italy

France and Italy are not in a diplomatic crisis, said Colonna, but she sought cooperation from Rome to tackle the migration issue, which has recently strained relations between the two countries.

"Italy is facing strong migratory pressure, particularly from the Mediterranean Sea. We long for better cooperation with Italy because we must fight those flows," she said, adding that Europe is currently developing a migratory policy.

Earlier this month, Darmanin branded the Italian government as "incapable" of solving the migration problem, prompting Tajani to cancel a visit to France for a meeting with his counterpart.

Darmanin said there was a flow of migrants towards southern France, particularly unaccompanied minors, accusing Italy of being unable to manage the migration pressure.

But Colonna brushed this aside, saying "I will take up a visit to Rome on Thursday at the invitation of my Italian counterpart."

Meloni meanwhile is scheduled to visit France in June, but the date is yet to be determined.

Italy has seen an increase in seaborne arrivals of irregular migrants making their way across the Mediterranean Sea on boats from Tunisia and Libya.

The two sides have often complained in recent months about mismanagement of the issue or a lack of cooperation in reaching a solution for irregular migration.

Many of those migrants, after being rescued and brought to Italian soil either by authorities or charity boats, then attempt to move towards northern Europe, including France.

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