French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Paris on Tuesday. The two leaders will discuss a range of pressing issues, including migration and Europe's relationship with China. In addition to bilateral relations and the implementation of the Quirinal Treaty, which covers issues such as migration, trade, and relations with Libya, they will also exchange views on several European issues in anticipation of the upcoming European Council in Brussels.
Despite France and Italy having publicly clashed over migration in recent months, French diplomats have been working for months to arrange an official Meloni visit to Paris. In fact, the two leaders were able to meet informally even before Meloni's formal installation as Italy's Prime Minister last October. Last month, they also held talks during the G7 summit in Japan to improve relations.
Aside from their discussions, Macron is expected to speak about Europe's air defense on Monday evening. In this regard, he announced earlier in the day that he would be making significant announcements regarding the SAMP/T system, which is also known as MAMBA. This air defense system was developed jointly with Italy and is currently being deployed in Ukraine. All of these developments indicate just how pivotal France-Italy ties are and their roles in shaping the continent's future direction.