Twenty accords in five key sectors have been signed during the Italy-France summit which came to an end in Paris with a resolve to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. The accords span issues such as the Union for the Mediterranean, immigration policy, nuclear power and defence, transport and culture.
[ansamed.info] THE MEDITERRANEAN: The text of the Declaration hails the institutional consolidation of the Union for the Mediterranean, symbolised by the creation of the organisation’s secretariat and the launching of the Italo-French Inframed Fund to promote sustainable infrastructure in the Mediterranean area. Italy and France have stated their support for the Spanish EU presidency ahead of the Union for the Mediterranean Summit, due to take place in Barcelona in June. This was further sealed by a joint declaration on immigration, which stresses the leading roles played by Italy and France in the fight against illegal immigration across the Mediterranean.
The declaration specifies which measures should be adopted at a European level to strengthen the EU’s external borders in enacting the road map of 29 measures agreed in Brussels on February 25 this year. At a bilateral level, the accord provides for measures to be adopted by France and Italy in order to combat illegal immigration: joint maritime patrols for the surveillance of territorial waters and operative cooperation with third-party states concerning matters of re-admission. […]
