Salvini ‘happy to meet Macron’ to discuss diplomatic row between Italy, France

The Italian government does not want to fall out with France, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Thursday, adding he would be happy to meet French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss tensions. Responding to a decision by Paris to recall its ambassador to Italy, Salvini said in a statement he wanted to reset relations with Paris, but that France needed to address three “fundamental” issues. He said the French police had to stop pushing migrants back into Italy and stop carrying out lengthy border checks that was blocking traffic at the frontier. Rome also wants Paris to hand over around 15 Italian leftist militants who have taken refuge in France in recent decades, Reuters said.