Italy seeks to resolve cross-border transportation problems with France — FM

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said Tuesday his government is committed to finding a solution to the transportation problems across the borders with France.

He noted, in a tweet on his X account, that he will visit France in the coming days to find quick solutions to the problems related to transportation through tunnels on the common borders. The Italian government is committed to resolving the critical situation related to the (Frejus) tunnel and the (White Mountain) tunnel between Italy and France below the Western Alps mountain range, Tajani stressed. “We are working to provide common answers for our regions,” Tajani added, noting that he will meet French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Thursday to find the fastest and most effective solutions. The fall of a mountain cliff on the railway line and the land road in the French region (Savoie) due to the rain caused a halt to the movement of railways, cars, and trucks through the (Frejus) tunnel between the two countries in recent days. The movement of crowded cars and trucks through the White Mountain Tunnel is witnessing a severe slowdown in both directions, with an average wait of more than three hours.

Local administrations and people in the region of Valdosta, northwestern Italy, have expressed growing concern for fear of significant negative impacts on the economy and tourism as a result of the closure of the White Mountain Tunnel, scheduled from September 4 to December 18, as a prelude to significant maintenance works that will take several years. The White Mountain Tunnel – which was inaugurated on July 19, 1965, after seven years of work, connects the towns of (Chamonix) on the Italian side and (Mont Blanc) on the French side, with a length of 11.6 km, allowing the passage of 600,000 trucks and nearly 1.2 million private cars annually, according to data from 2018-2022.

Source: Kuwait News Agency