French, Italian finance chiefs seek more business cooperation after diplomatic standoff

The French and Italian finance chiefs have urged cooperation to make European businesses more competitive globally, seeking to mend ties after a diplomatic standoff. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday that “we need to rise above the disagreements we had in the past weeks to move forward,” adding that “China and the US are not going to wait for us.” He also criticized nationalist politicians who claim European countries are better off on their own. Le Maire spoke after meeting Italian Finance Minister Giovanni Tria, who also called for European industrial cooperation. No breakthroughs were announced on the Turin-Lyon High-Speed Train tunnel link through the Alps that has exposed the challenges of cross-border coordination, AP reported. Tria expressed hope for a “positive outcome” of the debate within Italy’s government coalition.