PARIS, June 15 (Xinhua) -- "France and Italy have to manage this (migration) situation together," French President Emmanuel Macron said at a joint press conference with Giuseppe Conte, the head of the Italian government, after a lunch Friday at the Elysee.
According to Macron, France and Italy must "be able to move forward together for a common protection of our borders" and work "together, hand in hand", on the issues of migration flows facing the European Union.
Macron insisted on the need to "strengthen cooperation between European states" and also the strengthening of Frontex, the European coastguard and border guard agency of the European Union.
Macron said he wanted to reorganize the management of the arrival of migrants and to review the system of "solidarity" between the countries of the European Union.
"Our collective organization is not the right one," said the French president.
This meeting between the two leaders is held after several days of tensions between France and Italy concerning the management of the migration crisis.
Operated by the charity SOS Mediterrane, the Aquarius which carried 629 migrants and refugees on board, was denied entry in Italian ports last week after wandering for over 36 hours in the central Mediterranean.
On Monday, Spain finally agreed to host the ship at the port of Valencia and offered to take in the migrants, most of them sub-Saharan Africans who were picked up off the Libyan coast over the weekend.
Macron accused Italy's new populist government of "cynicism and irresponsibility" for closing its ports to the 629 migrants.
At the joint press conference, Macron said France "will assume its responsibilities" if a new case similar to Aquarius is represented.
The new Italian government was forged on a political platform promising a tough approach on irregular immigration, and a stop in the reception of migrants and refugees.
