France, Italy urge 'full co-op' after migrant spat

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella urged a return to "full cooperation" after last week's standoff over migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, the French presidency said.

The two leaders talked by telephone after Italy's farright government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni refused to allow the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship disembark, leading France to take in the vessel on Friday.

"Both confirmed the great importance of relations between France and Italy and underscored the need to reestablish the conditions for full cooperation in all areas, both at the bilateral level and within the European Union," the Elysee Palace said in a short statement.

Their talks came after the French government on Sunday called on the EU to decide "very soon on the response" to Italy's refusal to allow the Ocean Viking, which had 234 rescued migrants aboard, into its ports.

Meloni's government countered that it had already taken in hundreds of migrants last week from three NGO vessels.

Italy said other EU nations need to shoulder more of the burden for hosting the thousands of migrants trying to cross from North Africa to Europe every year.

Italy along with Cyprus, Greece and Malta slammed the current burden-sharing system on Saturday, and called for the EU to intervene, having urged in the past a compulsory relocation mechanism for migrants across the bloc.

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