PESCARA (ITALPRESS) – The meeting of the G7 Development Ministers (Oct. 22-24, 2024) kicks off today in Pescara, which will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani.
“We are ready to kick off the third G7 ministerial meeting under the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Vice President Tajani, who pointed out that “development cooperation is an extraordinary tool for peace, growth and stability: issues that we have placed at the center of the Italian G7 Presidency.” “It will be three intense and articulated days of work, which will allow us to discuss global challenges with our G7 partners, various guest countries, the private sector and international organizations,” the minister concluded.
Regarding the topics that will be addressed during the Ministerial, there will be three main strands of work: food security and sustainable agri-food systems; infrastructure and sustainable investment; and global health.
The first day of work will open with a Humanitarian Conference on the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, aimed at coordinating joint action that can ensure humanitarian access in Gaza, including through Italy’s Food for Gaza initiative, and in Lebanon. In addition to the G7, representatives from countries in the region (Lebanon, Israel, Palestine) and international bodies UNHCR, UNDP, WFP, FICROSS, IFAD and FAO will be present.
At the end of the day there will be an event by Minister Tajani with the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, dedicated to sport as a tool for development especially in Africa, with the presence of athletes Letsile Tebogo and Lorenzo Simonelli.
During the second day, Minister Tajani will open a session focused on the theme of food security to discuss the food system, climate and water, and child malnutrition, at which Uganda and the African Union will also speak, and another dedicated to coffee value chains in which representatives from producing countries, international organizations and the private sector will also be involved.
The focus will then shift in the afternoon to global infrastructure and investment, with an ad hoc session aimed at evaluating projects with high transformative potential concerning the African continent, to be implemented in synergy with the Mattei Plan and the Global Gateway launched by the EU. At the end of the day, the minister will preside over an event dedicated to Italian missionaries, aimed at highlighting their contribution to the sustainable development of local populations and the strengthening of education and training opportunities.
On the final day, Vice President Tajani will chair a session dedicated to the theme of global health, with the participation also of GAVI and WHO for a discussion with major health companies, during which investments in health infrastructure and improving access to and distribution of preventive tools in Africa will be discussed.
On the same days as the G7, an installation dedicated to the Foreign Ministry’s #InsiemepergliSDGs campaign will also be set up in Pescara.
A closing press conference by Minister Tajani will be held on Thursday, October 24, at the end of the work.
– photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).