Italian MoD

ROME --- Italy and France have met today in Rome, at Palazzo Esercito, to discuss their naval sector industrial cooperation project 

"We have taken stock of the advancement of the project, in which we strongly believe and that we deem to be a win-win". 

This was Minister Roberta Pinotti's statement at the end of the meeting that has taken place today at Palazzo Esercito. Talks were attended by the Italian Minister of Economy and Finance, Pier Carlo Padoan and Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda, and by the French Minister of Defence, Florence Parly and Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire. 

The meeting was also attended by Defence Secretary General/NDA, Gen. Carlo Magrassi, French Delegate General for Armaments, Joël Barre, Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono and Naval Group CEO Hervè Guillou. 

The project aims at establishing a global shipbuilding heavyweight. 

Minister Pinotti explained that the project was designed starting from a European Defence perspective, to establish "an industrial player able to compete at the global level", underscoring that France and Italy are getting closer. 

Prior to the meeting, Minister Pinotti and her French counterpart Florence Parly held bilateral talks, focusing on the theme of European Defence. Minister Pinotti recalled the historical result recently achieved by the EU with the launch of "PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation), and highlighted the importance to avoid duplications and wasting capabilities and resources at both the EU and NATO level.