France and Italy have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, particularly in joint weapons programmes and support for the European defence industrial base, with continued support for Ukraine named among the key priorities.
French President Emmanuel Macron said this at a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the intergovernmental summit in Antibes.
“This summit is, above all, about strengthening our defence cooperation. During the discussions, our ministers met to address shared priorities: continued support for Ukraine, joint participation in peacekeeping operations, a common security and defence policy, and joint armament programmes, with Franco-Italian successes such as Aster missiles and the next-generation SAMP/T system,” Macron said.
According to him, France and Italy remain “natural and indispensable partners” for each other, and the current summit aims to “project Franco-Italian relations into the future with clear objectives.” He noted that this approach follows the logic of a previous intergovernmental treaty, which created a “more ambitious and concrete framework” for cooperation between the two countries.
The French president also highlighted the creation of new mechanisms to develop defence-industrial cooperation.
“Our capability roadmap and the bilateral defence-industrial strategy committee established today will strengthen our cooperation in capabilities and industry in support of the European defence and technological industrial base,” Macron said.
He also reported that seven agreements were signed at the summit, along with additional deals between companies and key economic actors from both countries, which he said confirm the “tangible reality” of Franco-Italian partnership.
Beyond defence, the sides discussed cooperation in energy, civilian nuclear sector, space, transport infrastructure, security, and the fight against cross-border crime and illegal migration.
