President Emmanuel Macron will host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday in the French seaside resort of Antibes in a bid to smooth often testy ties.
One of Europe's most prominent right-wing leaders will arrive on the French Riviera for her first bilateral summit with Macron, fresh from her fallout with US President Donald Trump.
They are the first talks since a treaty on a strategic alliance came into force in 2021, elevating relations to a level comparable to that between France and Germany.
"This summit will provide an opportunity to deepen Franco-Italian cooperation in several strategic sectors, notably defence, nuclear energy, and space," the French presidency said.
"We need each other," it said ahead of the talks at the Villa Eilenroc, a dazzling 19th century residence overlooking the Mediterranean.
Relations have often been strained between Macron, a pro-European centrist, and Meloni, who leads a coalition of right and far-right parties.
While the leaders of the European Union's second- and third-largest economies are far from natural allies, they have worked to ease tensions – notably during a lengthy one-on-one meeting in Rome in June last year.
In April, as leaders gathered in Paris for a summit on securing the Strait of Hormuz, Meloni arrived at the Élysée in a red Alfa Romeo. Macron greeted the Italian leader with an enthusiastic double kiss that appeared to catch her off guard.
A video that went viral showed Meloni visibly surprised before both laughed it off.
Rapprochement
Marc Lazar, an Italy specialist at Sciences Po in Paris, said Meloni and Macron would try to build on a nascent rapprochement, despite lingering disagreements.
"There will be photos, they'll kiss each other warmly on both cheeks, and she'll stop sulking when she sees Macron," Lazar said.
Meloni had long sought to position herself as a bridge between Europe and Trump.
But following a G7 summit in France, Meloni has distanced herself from the US leader over what she called his "constant, unprovoked attacks".
Read more'Allies, not vassals': How Meloni's break with Trump became a political moment for Italy
"That can only please Emmanuel Macron," Lazar added.
Macron and Meloni share common ground on some issues, including opposition to the European Union's free trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc.
But they remain divided on others, such as Italy's push for migrant detention centres outside the European Union.
Unlike Macron, Meloni opposes sending Italian troops to Ukraine, even in a post-war scenario, to provide security guarantees to Kyiv.
On Thursday, the two countries are expected to sign a roadmap on defence, notably emphasising the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defence system delivered to Ukraine.
A cooperation agreement will also be signed in nuclear energy along with another on the planned European satellite powerhouse to rival Elon Musk's Starlink.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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