Belgium and Italy have agreed to strengthen their political ties, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on Wednesday after a meeting in Brussels with his new Italian counterpart, Enzo Moavero Milanesi.
The two ministers had a long first meeting at the Egmont Palace, after which Moavero Milanesi took part in a ceremony commemorating the Bois du Cazier catastrophe in Marcinelle (Charleroi). They agreed to “relaunch” bilateral relations between the two countries, which are founder members of both the EU and NATO, Reynders told the Belga news agency.
Their two ministries have been tasked with formalising the ministerial contacts, which could be extended to include specific areas such as culture, transport and energy.
This will to establish a “more political” relationship could lead to the creation of joint institutions, Reynders explained.
Italy’s populist government, led by Giuseppe Conte, a professor of private law, took office in June. It comprises the anti-system Five Stars Movement and the extreme-right League. However, it is pro-Europe Moavero Milanesi, who worked in Brussels for 20 years and was Minister of European Affairs from 2011 to 2014, who inherited the Foreign Affairs portfolio.
The Brussels Times
