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CWA # 1473, 19 September 2024
NIAS Europe Studies
The Meloni-Starmer Meeting: Six Takeaways

  Neha Tresa George

On 16 September, Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minsiter and Keir Starmer, the UK's Prime Minister met at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome. Following their discussion, a joint statement was issued, aiming to bolster their strategic partnership in areas of common interest. The statement read: "We agreed on some practical measures to make the strategic relationship stronger than it has ever been, in full accordance with Italy’s membership of the EU and the UK’s relationship with the EU." Starmer was accompanied by Martin Hewitt, the newly appointed UK Border Security Commander for closely working with Italy on the issue and prevention of illegal immigration. Under the UK's relationship and Italy's membership with the EU, the countries intend to work for their "security, stability and growth" by upholding the principles of "democracy, justice and rule of law."

Following are the six takeaways.

1. Deepening cooperation in security and defence sectors
Italy and the UK, as NATO allies aim to deepen their security and defence through various military exercises.

The Italian Navy will join the UK carrier operations in 2025 as part of their defence collaborations. Both highlighted the importance of the Global Compact Air Programme (GCAP) in promoting defence industrial capacities. They reiterated the importance of promoting European defence industrial resilience through NATO and EU cooperation. This could be done by showcasing the complex weapons and their capabilities, increasing mutual defence exports and promoting multinational initiatives aimed at enhancing EU-NATO cooperation.

The two leaders also discussed the forthcoming 2+2 dialogue between the Foreign and Defence ministers of Italy and the UK.

2. Detering illegal immigration and cross-border conflicts
How to deter illegal immigration, is an issue across Europe.

In this context, Starmer appreciated Meloni's "upstream" policies which cut down almost 60 per cent of the illegal and irregular arrivals since 2022. The Italian government had signed agreements with various African countries such as Tunisia to deter the departure of people, restricted work on the improvement of rescue ships and suppressed human trafficking at the borders.

As the Prime Minister of a country, grappled with unrest and riots over immigration policies, Starmer presented himself as a British leader following "pragmatism." He expressed his interest in learning and adopting strategies similar to those of Italy, despite the criticisms faced by humanitarian groups and asylum seekers. The leaders further discussed the Albania scheme, which is set to open in a few weeks. In this scheme, Italy had signed a deal with Albania to accommodate some rescued male migrants till their asylum claims were processed. However, Starmer stressed that he was uncertain of the outcome and was looking forward to it. The countries jointly agreed to enhance migration partnerships with countries of origin and transit and promote humanitarian returns.

To promote cross-border cooperation, the UK's Security Commander pledged to work with the EU countries and combat smuggling and trafficking. The leaders promised to monitor data exchanges, illegal financial flows and trade which impede the safety of border areas. They realised the importance of combining global partners through organisations such as Europol and INTERPOL to tackle the common problem of 'organised immigration crime."

3. Boost in economy and trade
With economic growth as the top priority for both Italy and the UK, the leaders vowed to extend their trade and economic relations. Italy is one of the top 10 trading partners of the UK. It is also the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment to the UK. Starmer met with the business leaders of Italy and announced the investment of EUR 485 million by two large Italian companies, Leonardo (defence manufacturer) and Marcegaglia (steel manufacturer) into the UK economy. He believed that it would create new jobs for people and elevate their standard of living. The leaders also looked forward to the conference of British and Italian CEOs to discuss the bilateral trade opportunities and ease of doing business. Further, they intended to work together on defence, Greentech, science and innovation.

4. Resolute support to Ukraine
The leaders condemned Russia's war in Ukraine and its potential threats faced by the EU. They promised to support Ukraine in its reconstruction program and peace resolution. They also joined hands to deliver the loan of EUR 50 billion to Ukraine proposed by the G7 leaders under the presidency of Italy. Further, Starmer expressed his determination to work for Italy's "Ukraine Recovery Conference," set to be conducted in 2025.

5. Call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
The leaders stood united in their unwavering support for Gaza in the Israel-Palestine war. They called for the release of all the hostages captured during the war and emphasised the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza. They hoped for de-escalation on both sides and calming of tensions specifically in the West Bank. Starmer pointed out that these steps were "vital and urgent."

6. Tackling the global challenges
The UK and Italy as key allies set out their ambitious goals to tackle the upcoming global challenges. Earlier, they reaffirmed their relationship through various initiatives such as the UK-Italy Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation and Global Compact Air Programme (GCAP), a joint initiative to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. Through the joint statement, Starmer and Meloni underline their primary areas of cooperation and collaboration such as defence, security, immigration, trade, economy and cross-border conflicts.

References
“Joint statement between UK and Italy,” Gov.UK, 16 September 2024
“UK’s Starmer heaps praise on ‘remarkable’ Meloni,” Politico, 16 September 2024
“UK PM Starmer to meet Italy's Meloni for illegal immigration talks,” Morning Star, 16 September 2024
“President Meloni meets with UK Prime Minister Starmer,” Italian Government, 16 September 2024
“UK leader Starmer seeks to learn from Meloni’s tough migration policies at meeting in Rome,” Associated Press, 16 September 2024

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