"This is my first trip abroad after the pandemic. I am glad it was in France. I thank Macron for remembering the victims. Italy and France have a unique bond based on shared values, common history".
Thus the President of the Republic,
Sergio Mattarella
alongside President Emmanuel Macron after their meeting at the Elysée.
"Italian-French partnership fundamental for Europe. We talked with Macron how to intensify our relations. From all this arises the need for a treaty of strengthened collaboration. Italy has welcomed the proposal for a common Franco civil service -Italian for young people ", added Mattarella. "The Union is the perspective of the new generations. The EU is the protagonist of the international community", he stressed, "we are surrounded by tensions: Europe can transfer its vocation to peace. And Italy and France are united in carrying out this role ". "The conference on the future of Europe - said the Head of State - is a historic opportunity to strengthen the Union".
"France welcomes a friend and a great personality," said the French president,
Emmanuel Macron,
speaking at the Elysée alongside President Sergio Mattarella at the end of their meeting. "We have never stopped talking and working together", underlined Macron, speaking of the difficulties of the pandemic, in which "Italy and France found themselves facing the same situation 10 days apart".
With President Mattarella there was full "coordination on European solidarity", Macron noted. "Last year, in particular from summer 2020 - he said - we had a strong will together to build a shared European ambition". "We then decided - Macron announced - to proceed with the bilateral treaty of enhanced cooperation, the Quirinale treaty, which will allow us to consolidate our relationship". And the treaty "will make it possible to offer peoples and young people true perspectives and will allow young people to engage in a Franco-Italian civil service together".