Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Antibes on 25 June for the 36th Italy-France inter-governmental summit, the first since relations soured earlier this year. While defence and energy dominated headlines, diplomats confirmed that “governance of EU migration flows” and “co-ordination of critical transport corridors” were priority topics. Interior ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Laurent Nuñez reviewed joint sea-rescue protocols and discussed expanding the Ventimiglia hotspot, a key choke-point for asylum seekers attempting to cross into France. Officials floated a pilot project for real-time data-sharing between Italian Questure and French Préfectures on visa overstays—potentially a template for wider Schengen cooperation once the EU Entry/Exit System stabilises. On transport, the delegations approved a roadmap to accelerate the long-delayed Turin–Lyon high-speed rail link, pledging to finalise financing for the Mont d’Ambin base tunnel by December 2026. They also mandated their civil-aviation authorities to harmonise slot-allocation rules ahead of the 2027 Summer Olympics in France and the 2030 Expo in Rome. For corporate mobility teams, the communique signals closer alignment of Italian and French border-management policies—important for firms with staff rotating between Milan, Paris and Monaco. Logistics operators welcomed clarity on the Turin–Lyon timeline, which could cut Milan-Paris freight times by five hours once operational. The summit ended with the signing of 12 bilateral MoUs, including a Business France–ICE agreement to promote reciprocal investment and easier work-permit processing for posted workers. Progress will be reviewed at the next summit in Florence in June 2027.
Source: LaPresse
