Italy, France to Sign Treaty to Show Closeness Post-Merkel

  • Two countries are strengthening their long-term cooperation
  • Treaty mirrors a similar accord between France and Germany

Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Nov. 12.

Photographer: Antoine Gyori/Corbis/Getty Images

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Italy’s Mario Draghi and France’s Emmanuel Macron will sign a bilateral cooperation accord next week, according to people familiar with the treaty, in the latest sign that the leaders have gotten closer.

The ‘Quirinal Treaty’ -- named after the opulent presidential palace in Rome where it will be signed -- is designed to boost industrial and strategic cooperation between the two countries. It mirrors the so-called Elysee accord between France and Germany, which was ratified in 1963.