Salvini agrees to meet Macron, discussion likely on Itlalian terror acts in France

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Saturday he was ready to meet French President Emmanuel Macron to agree steps to capture Italians wanted for terrorism-related offences believed to be hiding in France. Italian former leftist guerrilla Cesare Battisti, convicted of murder and on the run for almost four decades after escaping prison, was this week extradited to Italy after being arrested in Bolivia.

Following Battisti's arrest, Italy's interior ministry said it had updated a list of 30 Italians, mostly leftists, wanted on terrorist offences who were hiding abroad, fourteen believed to be in France. However the ministry did not say how the list had been updated, who was on it or what specific offences they were accused of. It said Italy's government wants to cooperate with countries where these people were believed to be hiding. "If needed I'm ready to leave for Paris to meet Macron, if it helps to bring back to Italy these assassins," Salvini, who is the leader of the right-wing League, one of the two parties in the coalition government, said in a note.

(With inputs from agencies.)