Italy's Meloni to skip EU Med-9 summit due to flu

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will no longer attend a summit of southern EU countries in the Spanish city of Alicante on Friday after coming down with the flu, and will be replaced by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, her office said on Friday.

The EU Med-9 format includes Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia and Croatia.

At the Alicante meeting, also due to be attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, leaders are meant to discuss a construction timeline and financing for a new hydrogen pipeline.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak, editing by Alvise Armellini)