Italy, France "working on new bilateral treaty": reports

ROME, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The prime ministers of Italy and France are working on a new treaty between their two countries, Italian news agency ANSA reported Wednesday.

The so-called Quirinal Treaty -- named after the Quirinal Palace in Rome -- would call for "systematic coordination" on bilateral issues, ANSA said, citing sources close to the French government.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and President Emmanuel Macron of France are reportedly working on this new treaty ahead of a summit of south European countries being held here Wednesday.

The two leaders will appoint a working group to draft the text of the Quirinal Treaty, calling for "much more coordinated bilateral consultations" on a range of issues including industrial and cultural relations as well as the renewal of the European Union, ANSA reported.

The idea is to have the treaty ready by the next intergovernmental summit, to be held in Italy sometime in 2018. Gentiloni is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Macron on Thursday morning, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

He also met with Greek President Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday ahead of the start of the summit, where leaders are expected to talk about security and immigration, among other issues. Enditem