Paris, (EFE).- The French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the head of the Italian Government, Giorgia Meloni, agreed on Tuesday on the need to increase bilateral and European cooperation on migration.
Against the backdrop of the recent capsizing of a fishing boat full of immigrants in Greek waters, coupled with periodic tensions between Paris and Rome over the disembarkation of castaways rescued at sea, immigration capitalized much of the interest in today’s meeting. in Elysium both rulers.
In a statement prior to their meeting, Macron regretted that “we continue to see dramas in the Mediterranean”, for which he stressed the importance of deepening asylum and migration policies in the European Union.
“There is no good immigration policy in Europe if there is no coherent policy to protect our borders,” he added, while stressing the willingness to “work better with transit countries of origin.”
Meloni’s first visit
Meloni, on her first official visit to Paris since taking office, denounced that immigrant trafficking is “the slavery of the third millennium” and insisted on her position not to open the borders to those who have traveled with traffickers.
“We cannot allow people to enter our country through criminal networks,” he stressed.
For this reason, he considered it necessary to “involve the EU” to try to find solutions with the countries of origin and affirmed that it is “essential” that both governments “continue working” on this issue, “both bilaterally and multilaterally”.
Macron and Meloni also prepared the European Council in Brussels on June 29 or 30 and the NATO summit on June 11 and 12 in Vilnius, in which the war in Ukraine will play a predominant role.
“As Europeans and allies it is our responsibility to make a front to support the Ukrainians from the political and military point of view,” stressed the French president.
“France and Italy will continue to support the Ukrainian cause until it is necessary,” Meloni stressed. EFE
