After months and months of controversy and friction, the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni will be received today at the Elysée in an official meeting with the French president Emmanuel Macron. This visit takes place eight months after the elections in which Meloni won. The diplomatic negotiations that led to this meeting took place in recent days between the French presidency and the Italian government, and also involved the logistical planning of the visit itself.
The topics on the agenda
According to what was communicated by the Elysee in the afternoon, the main topics of the meeting will be the borders of the Quirinale Treaty and their implementation, the economic relations between the two countries, the preparation of the European Council to be held at the end of June (with particular examination of the issue of migrants), the reaffirmation of a common position regarding the war in Ukraine and finally the preparation of the NATO summit in Vilnius, scheduled for 10 July.
One topic on which division remains between France and Italy concerns the final stage of bids for Expo 2030, to be held in Paris and in which both countries are involved. Tomorrow morning, the French president will meet with the Korean president, whose country is presenting its candidacy for Expo 2030. Two days ago, Macron met with the president of Saudi Arabia, another candidate, which at the moment seems to enjoy greater number of votes compared to Italy and, apparently, also the consensus of France.
A meeting to strengthen Italian-French relations
Giorgia Meloni's visit to the Elysée is of significant importance for relations between Italy and France, especially after the tensions of recent months especially regarding the issue of migrants. The outcome of the meeting and any joint statement that could emerge from the talks between Meloni and Macron are awaited with interest. This visit represents an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties between Italy and France and to find points of convergence on important international and economic issues.
