WELCOME MESSAGE
Giorgia Meloni Prime Minister, Italy
Key focuses of the Italian presidency
O n January 1, 2024, Italy assumed, for the seventh time, the Presidency of the G7: the group that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The G7, in which the European Union also participates, is united by common values and principles and plays an invaluable role in defending freedom and democracy and addressing global challenges … A key focus of the Italian Presidency will be the defence of the rules-based international system. Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine has undermined its principles and triggered growing instability, with multiple crises unfolding worldwide. The G7 will give equal importance to the conflict in the Middle East, with its consequences for the global agenda. The relationship with developing Nations and emerging economies will be central. The engagement with Africa will be a key priority. We will work to build a cooperation model based on mutually beneficial partnerships, away from paternalistic or predatory logics. Particular attention will also be paid to the Indo-Pacific region. Italy will ensure great attention to migration, together with some of the greatest challenges of our time, including the climate-energy nexus and food security. The G7 has the responsibility and duty to identify, together with its global partners, innovative solutions. Artificial Intelligence will also feature in the Italian programme. This technology
can generate great opportunities but also enormous risks, affecting geopolitical balances. It is necessary to develop governance mechanisms and ensure that AI remains human-centered and human-controlled, giving concrete applications to the concept of algorethics. Welcome remarks, official website of Italy’s 2024 G7 presidency, 26 January 2024 … I’m working on a concrete and substantial G7 summit. We intend first and foremost to reaffirm the rules-based international order, defending freedom and building peace for Ukraine. And, in doing this, I think we need to tackle the narrative that wants “the West against the rest”. So, our dialogue within the G7 with the Global South is essential. The crisis in the Middle East is of the utmost concern. We need to coordinate our actions in order to avoid an escalation and, in this regard, we fully support the US mediation efforts. The humanitarian crisis is our number one priority. Italy is concentrating its contribution on this. Meanwhile, we are cooperating with all regional actors that must be part of any future outcome. We should work together on concrete steps to guarantee the two-state perspective, which is the only long-term sustainable solution. And then, the Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels that endanger freedom of navigation in the Red Sea are unacceptable … Then, building on Italy’s role in the Mediterranean, the G7 will pay special
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G7 ITALY: THE APULIA SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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