Meloni asked Macron to move the bilateral summit after the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, which will be held from June 15 to 17, writes Politico.
According to the diplomat, the request was made on February 12, when the two leaders met for a “competition retreat” in a Belgian castle, and any connection to the recent disagreements between them has been ruled out.
The summit in Toulouse was supposed to be an important indicator of Franco-Italian friendship and an opportunity to repair the damaged relations between the two countries.
It would be the first high-level bilateral meeting since 2020, when then-Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met with Macron in Naples, and the first since the signing of the Quirinal Agreement between Rome and Paris and after Melonia’s election.
Macron and Meloni clashed over a range of issues, from migration to the rule of law. Tensions escalated again last Thursday, when Macron criticized Meloni for saying the killing of 23-year-old far-right activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon was “a wound for all of Europe”.
Meloni said she was surprised by Macron’s reaction, clarified that she had no intention of interfering in France’s internal affairs, and recalled previous disputes, including the French government’s statement that it would monitor the state of the rule of law in Italy after her election victory.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
