Italy's anti-migrant interior minister and deputy premier Matteo Salvini on Thursday praised as "historic" a meeting of G7 counterparts which he is attending in Paris, according to interior ministry sources.
"At last talks are taking place on immigration, repatriations and expulsions," the sources cited Salvini as saying.
Salvini also voiced satisfaction at the admission by France's interior minister Cristophe Castaner that non-government organisations are abetting the people-smugglers, the sources said.
The comments came as a fresh standoff between European countries loomed on Thursday after Italy and Malta refused to allow a boat operated by German charity Sea-Eye to land 64 rescued migrants including a newborn baby.
Salvini on Wednesday that Italy would not accept the migrants and that the German ship should "go to Hamburg" - a month-long voyage which Sea-Eye said it did have the supplies to undertake and was "completely out of the question".
Salvini's closure of Italy's ports to rescue vessels last June sparked a spate of similar standoffs that left migrants stranded at sea until other states agreed to take a share of them. Many of those people are still stuck in migrant holding centres in Malta and Italy.
Sea-Eye says its 'Alan Kurdi' rescue boat is the only one operating in the Mediterranean as many governments have denied aid ships the permission to operate.
