Italy's Finance Chief Cancels French Talks in Migrants Spat
- Minister Tria pulls out of talks with Le Maire in Paris
- Prime Minister Conte may seek cancellation of Macron meeting
Matteo Salvini on June 13.
Photographer: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
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Italy’s finance minister canceled his first talks with his French counterpart and the interior minister demanded an apology from President Macron as a dispute over a migrant rescue ship escalated into a rare diplomatic incident.
Finance chief Giovanni Tria pulled out of a meeting with Bruno Le Maire, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Paris, according to an Italian Treasury official. That came after France reprimanded Italy over its refusal to grant access to the Aquarius, carrying some 600 people rescued in the Mediterranean.