Macron, Meloni seek united front in Riviera talks

ANTIBES, FRANCE:

French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's right-wing leader Giorgia Meloni on Thursday kept a united front as they sought to deepen cooperation in defence, space and energy after years of often testy ties.

Meloni, fresh from her public fallout with US President Donald Trump, met Macron in the resort town of Antibes for her first bilateral summit with the French leader.

The negotiations marked the first summit since a treaty on a strategic alliance came into force in 2021, elevating relations to a level comparable to that between France and Germany.

After talks at the Villa Eilenroc, a dazzling 19th-century residence overlooking the Mediterranean, the pair brushed aside suggestions of tensions, with Macron calling the Italian leader "Dear Giorgia".

"We all live under the same climate -- it is warm. And there is nothing glacial anymore," Macron told reporters with a smile.

Meloni played along, saying their relationship was that of "serious people who talk politics".

Ties have often been strained between Macron, a pro-European centrist, and Meloni, who leads a coalition of right and far-right parties.

But while the leaders of the European Union's second- and third-largest economies are far from natural allies, they have worked to ease tensions.

Meloni had also long sought to position herself as a bridge between Europe and Trump.

But following a recent G7 summit in France, the Italian leader has distanced herself from Trump over what she called his "constant, unprovoked attacks".

Macron indicated on Thursday that they wanted Europe and the United States to remain close.

"We want to keep the Americans on our side," he said, while acknowledging that "there will likely be changes, new twists and turns" in the relationship with Washington.

Macron and Meloni said France and Italy wanted to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

"We want to launch a coalition for the post-UNIFIL arrangement, obviously in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and that of its armed forces," Macron said.

"Italy and France can absolutely make a difference," the Italian prime minister added.

The UNIFIL force has been a buffer between Lebanon and Israel since 1978, although its presence has not prevented repeated outbreaks of conflict. Last August, the UN Security Council, under US pressure, decided to end the mandate of UNIFIL on December 31, 2026.