PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2022) French President Emmanuel Macron and his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, called for bilateral cooperation in a telephone conversation amid tensions over migrants, the Elysee Palace said on Monday.
"The President of the Republic had a telephone conversation with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. They both reaffirmed the great importance of relations between France and Italy and stressed the need to create conditions for comprehensive cooperation in all areas, both bilaterally and within the European Union," the Elysee Palace communique read.
Last week, Italy refused to allow the docking of the Ocean Viking, French NGO SOS Mediterranee's ship, with 234 migrants on board, who had been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. Many refugees had reportedly been at sea for over two weeks. The ship finally docked in the French port of Toulon.
Paris criticized Rome's refusal as "selfish" and "unacceptable." The French government spokesman, Olivier Veran, noted that Italy must fulfill its European obligations to receive migrants, since the ship was in Italian territorial waters. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said that Italy would face consequences if it continued to refuse to accept migrants rescued at sea.
The Italian authorities believe that while women, children and sick people have the right to help and accommodation in the ports closest to the rescue site, the authorities of the countries, under whose flags NGO vessels move, should take care of the rescued migrants, and the issue of refugee accommodation should be resolved in a pan-European format based on solidarity.
