On 1 January, Italy took over the presidency of the G7, a forum that in recent years has taken on an increasingly important role in safeguarding the international system based on democratic values and rules and in meeting the challenges of our time.
Under the leadership of Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, four G7 ministerial meetings will be held: two Foreign Ministers’ meetings, one in April (Capri) and one in the autumn (Fiuggi); an International Trade Ministers’ meeting in July (Reggio Calabria) and a Development Ministers’ meeting in the autumn (Pescara).
The Italian G7 Presidency will culminate in the Summit of Heads of State and Government that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will host in Borgo Egnazia (Apulia) in June. Targeted ministerial meetings devoted to the main topics of international current affairs, such as industry and space, infrastructure and transport, the economy, tourism, justice, the environment, health, and agriculture, will also be held.
The Italian Presidency will prioritise, first and foremost, respect for the international order, which has been profoundly shaken by the Russian war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, two issues on which Italy intends to keep the attention of its partners and the international community high.
Ukraine and the Middle East will be among the topics that Minister Tajani is scheduled to discuss with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today and with his colleagues in the Group in the coming talks, with a view to taking concrete joint action.
“The Presidency will obviously focus on the Mediterranean. We have a responsibility to promote solutions that foster peace and stability for the entire region, starting with the current conflict in the Middle East. We will also continue to strongly support Ukraine, including in terms of reconstruction”, Tajani commented. “We will pay particular attention to the Balkans – an area that has always been of strategic importance for the stability of all Europe – and to Africa, where we want to promote equal, effective and mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries, aimed at ensuring the continent’s security and resilience” added the Minister.
The relationship with all global players will be one of the pivotal issues addressed by Italy’s Presidency. Italy is well aware that in order to address such complex global challenges, a profound and open-minded dialogue will be required, which will also focus on the Indo-Pacific area, a fast-growing region at the centre of growing international interest.
The Italian Presidency will not fail to address decisive issues such as: climate change and loss of biodiversity; rules-based international trade; digital transition, including the development of Artificial Intelligence; achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; the link between development and migration. “Italy will make sure that migration issues are high on the G7 agenda”, the Deputy Prime Minister commented. “This is a priority that the Italian Government has raised in every forum. In July, with the launch of the ‘Rome Process’ with the Conference on Migration and Development that was hosted at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Government and the international community embarked on a shared journey, involving the Mediterranean, African and Gulf countries, to address the issue.”
In tackling such complex issues and challenges, the Italian Presidency will seek to adopt a method based on dialogue and cooperation – always upholding the cornerstones of respect for international law and human rights – working together with partners to seek innovative solutions capable of promoting stability in the main conflict areas and the sustainable development of emerging economies.
