Belgium: Italian PM Conte calls for European-wide solution to migration at EU

M/S Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and outgoing European Council President Donald Tusk walking together, Brussels
W/S Conte and Tusk walking
M/S Conte and Tusk walking and shaking hands
M/S Conte and Tusk shaking hands and walking away
M/S Conte approaching journalists
SOT, Giuseppe Conte, Italian Prime Minister (Italian): "I met both the new president Ursula von der Leyen and the former president Donald Tusk. The talks were very friendly and they showed support towards Italy and myself. In particular with president von der Leyen we spoke about what awaits us, the budget law, and also about the migration issue and what are our priorities and what are her priorities. I see the agreement we reached as very important. I explained that the political project of this government is a digitalised Italy, a green Italy, with full, circular economy and on this we are in agreement with her. Those are also her priorities, so I believe we'll have great support on all this from Europe as well." *JUMP CUT AT SOURCE*
SOT, Giuseppe Conte, Italian Prime Minister (Italian): "From this point of view (migration) there is great availability to reach even a temporary agreement which we will stabilise, improve, modify, but we must absolutely urgently get out of emergency cases handled by Italy alone. We have here their maximum support, now we need to define details. For sure Italy wants substantial sharing and distribution even with this temporary mechanism. In perspective, when we'll improve it we know we'll have reluctant countries, but we are all aware though that those who won't participate will suffer on the financial level, in a consistent way: if we are in Europe all must participate in re-distribution mechanisms, the solidarity mechanism cannot be rejected or they'll pay a big price." *JUMP CUT AT SOURCE*
M/S Conte leaving
SCRIPT
Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte met with the European Union Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels on Wednesday, his first visit to the EU since becoming head of a government backed by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
Following his meeting with Tusk, Conte spoke briefly to journalists about a "friendly" talk with incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with issues over budget law, migration and the digitalisation of Italy were raised.
"The political project of this government is a digitalised Italy, a green Italy, with full, circular economy and on this we are in agreement with her," Conte stated.
The prime minister also restated Italy's long-term demand that EU member states should seek a continent-wide solution for migration.
"The solidarity mechanism cannot be rejected or they'll pay a big price," he argued.