Italy – Visit by Catherine Colonna (May 25, 2023)

On May 25, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna will be in Rome at the invitation of her Italian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, with whom she will have a meeting.

The ministers will discuss our two countries’ enhanced cooperation under the Quirinal Treaty that took effect on February 1.

The minister will once again express France’s solidarity with Italy, which is dealing with deadly floods in Emilia-Romania. We are sending pumping equipment to help meet the needs expressed by the Italian government.

Coming a few days after the Ukrainian President’s visit to both countries, this meeting will give the ministers an opportunity to stress that Europe stands united in its support for Ukraine in every area and in the long term. The ministers will also discuss current efforts within Europe, especially with regard to stepping up manufacturing of the munitions Ukraine needs to ensure its legitimate defense.

Preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11-12 are also on the agenda, particularly the complementarity between the Atlantic Alliance and the EU’s security and defense efforts.

Lastly, the two ministers will discuss the migration crisis in the Mediterranean, which affects Italy as a country of first entry and results in secondary migration, in order to better cope with this issue. To that end, as discussed by President Macron and Prime Minister Meloni during their meetings in Reykjavik and Hiroshima, cooperation between our two countries is essential, as is cooperation with Tunisia.

Malta – Visit by Laurence Boone (May 25-26, 2023)

Laurence Boone, Minister of State for Europe, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will be in Malta on May 25 and 26.

There she will meet with Ian Borg, Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, to discuss current talks on the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration, European unity in support of Ukraine amid Russia’s war of aggression against that country, EU enlargement and institutional reforms, and European competitiveness. She will also address students at the University of Malta on the topic of European sovereignty and will visit STMicroelectronics, a company of French-Italian origin that is helping to boost Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing capacity.

The minister will also visit a center that houses refugees and asylum seekers. She will meet with representatives of several NGOs and organizations that work on migration and asylum issues and will visit the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) for a discussion with Executive Director Nina Gregori.

A moment of reflection is also planned in remembrance of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the investigative reporter who was murdered in October 2017. Ms. Boone will reiterate France’s commitment to the freedom of the press, a cornerstone of the rule of law and our European democratic values

Myanmar – French solidarity in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha (May 24, 2022)

Following the violent cyclone that struck Myanmar, displacing more than 900,000 people and leaving many dead, France offers its condolences to the bereaved, assures the families of those who have disappeared that they are in our thoughts, and offers its absolute solidarity to all those who were injured or suffered damage.

France is mobilizing its efforts to provide assistance to the people affected by this cyclone.

France has decided to provide exceptional support to humanitarian organizations that operate locally to help them strengthen their efforts on the ground to provide emergency shelters and access to drinking water, for which there is a substantial need. We stand ready to tailor our response to shifting needs. France reiterates its commitment to providing humanitarian aid securely and without hindrance to all vulnerable populations, as well as its solidarity with the people of Myanmar.