The leaders of Italy and Spain began talks here Wednesday expected to focus on the European Union's future and on immigration. The meeting between Italian Premier Romano Prodi and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is part of annual consultations between the two southern Mediterranean countries. Also meeting in Naples were several ministers, including those in charge of foreign affairs, defense and transportation. Prodi and Zapatero were expected to discuss ways forward for the European Union after leaders agreed on a treaty to improve procedures in the enlarged union and bolster its role on the world stage. The treaty, which replaces the failed constitution and will be signed later this month, must be ratified by all 27 member nations. Illegal immigration also loomed large on the agenda. Both countries are first EU destinations for huge numbers of immigrants from Africa, just across the Mediterranean.
