Italy and France hold 36th bilateral summit in Antibes, launch coalition for post-UNIFIL Lebanon
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Antibes for the 36th Italy–France intergovernmental summit, signing a package of defence, space and security agreements and announcing a Franco-Italian-led international coalition to replace the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.
The two leaders, speaking under a scorching Côte d’Azur sun, repeatedly dismissed talk of frosty relations. Macron said the partnership between Rome and Paris is “natural and indispensable,” while Meloni added that without Italy and France “Europe and the West would not be what they are.”
Seven bilateral agreements were endorsed during the summit at Villa Eilenroc. Ministers signed a five-year defence cooperation roadmap (2026–2031), an accord on space and satellite communications, and the creation of a joint Franco-Italian brigade to tackle irregular migration and cross-border crime. A parallel business forum in Le Cannet drew about 300 industrialists; Foreign Ministers Antonio Tajani and Jean-Noël Barrot used the occasion to warn Brussels against environmental policies that harm industry and agriculture.
France and Italy are natural and indispensable partners. We want to project our relationship into the future with clear objectives.
The headline initiative is a new “coalition” for post-UNIFIL Lebanon. With the UN mission’s mandate expiring at year’s end, Meloni said Italy and France can “make the difference” and will convene an international conference soon, working with European and regional partners to create a legal framework that prevents Lebanese territory from triggering another regional escalation. On other issues, Meloni called NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte’s recent reconstruction of flight authorisations “confused” and urged prudence ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit, while Macron listed Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz and the EU budget among areas where the two countries have built convergence.
