PARIS (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday in Paris to mark the improvement of relations between the two countries after their latest dispute over migration issues.
Talks are meant to prepare for the European summit later this month in Brussels and the NATO summit to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, next month, according to the French presidency. Macron and Meloni are expected to reaffirm their joint support of Ukraine in military, humanitarian, economic, diplomatic and judicial terms, the statement said.
On Monday, Macron said that the Mamba anti-missile system developed together by France and Italy “is now deployed and operational in Ukraine, protecting key installations and lives.” The delivery of the system to Kyiv was announced by Paris and Rome in February.
The trip comes weeks after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly canceled a visit to Paris in protest of the French interior minister’s criticism of his country's migration policy.
On May 4, Gerald Darmanin blamed Meloni for being "incapable of resolving the migration problems for which she was elected.”
French and Italian foreign ministers met last month in Rome to resume collaboration.
Italy and France have sparred over migration policy since Meloni took office last year as Italy’s first post-war far-right leader.
Her government ushered in hardline policies on migration, including standoffs with humanitarian rescue ships. Tensions spiked last fall after Italy forced France’s hand to accept the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship, which had 234 people on board, after Italy had refused it port for weeks.
Meloni’s visit also aims at garnering support for Italy’s bid to host the 2030 World Fair’s Expo, which is based in Paris.
Others who threw their hats in the ring include South Korea, whose President Yoon Suk Yeol was in Paris Tuesday, and Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was on a several-day visit to France.
The three candidatures will be considered for election in November.
