Returned French envoy invites Mattarella

(ANSA) - Rome, February 15 - President Sergio Mattarella on Friday received at the presidential Quirinale palace French Ambassador to Italy Christian Masset who handed him a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron inviting him to pay a State visit to France. Mattarella cordially thanked Macron and accepted the invitation. Masset on Friday returned to Rome after being recalled to Paris for consultations on February 7.
    Masset was discreetly greeted at Fiumicino Airport by French embassy staff.
    France recalled Masset for consultations citing unprecedented attacks by Italian government figures after Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio met with hardline members of the Yellow Vest protest movement in Paris.
    "Italian President (Sergio) Mattarella called (French) President (Emmanuel) Macron, they talked and they said how important the friendship between France and Italy is, how much the two countries need each other," European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau told RTL.
    "We have also listened to the political leaders who let slip words and conduct that were frankly unfriendly and unacceptable show regret".
    Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday that his 5-Star Movement (M5S) will not have talks with violent elements among France's Yellow Vests protestors.
    Di Maio last week met controversial hardline Yellow Vest member Christophe Chalencon, who has called for a military coup, ahead of May's European elections.
    "There was some interaction with a complex reality but we don't intend to dialogue with the part that is talking about armed struggle or civil war," Di Maio said as he presented the M5S's manifesto for the European elections.