France's President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Rome to sign a new treaty of cooperation with Italy, which he and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi say will help forge closer cooperation on everything from defense to culture. 

Italy says the move has important symbolic value for Europe, coming after Brexit and just ahead of Germany's long-time Chancellor Angela Merkel leaving office.

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"The agreement aims to encourage and accelerate the process of European integration," said Draghi. "I am talking about relaunching investments, especially in strategic and innovative areas such as semiconductors, the digital and energy transition and of building a true European defense."

The deal comes after a recent period of tension between Paris and Rome. They have clashed on migration and defense but Irene Caratelli, program director of international relations at the American University of Rome, believes renewing bilateral cooperation is in France's best interests.

Caratelli told CGTN Europe's Global Business program: "For France, it's very important because it needs an ally when it will start its own presidency of the European Union in January."

She added: "And it's also very relevant given the extension of the members of the European Union today and the weaknesses that Germany will face in the short term due to the exit of Chancellor Merkel from the political scene."

But is this rapprochement between Italy and France really about improving relations and trade, or is it actually about Germany? Caratelli believes it is a bit of both.

"It's about the necessity to have some countries setting the agenda for the EU. Italy and France are founding members as well as Germany, so if the three countries could actually work all together, it would be even better."

The declarations set out by Macron and Draghi after signing the treaty are ambitious, says Caratelli, who thinks the idea of a EU defense force will complement NATO and be a further step to achieving a more united Europe.