Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, has departed on a diplomatic mission to Bali to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
This year, Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 and heads the Troika together with Italy, the outgoing presidency, and India, the incoming presidency. The central theme chosen by Jakarta – “Recover together, recover stronger” – ideally assures continuity with the goals achieved last year by Italy by putting an emphasis on multilateralism and international cooperation. The priority areas of Indonesia’s agenda concern global health architecture; digital transformation; energy conversion and sustainability.
On 8 July, Minister Di Maio will take part in the Ministerial Meeting’s two working sessions. The first morning session will be dedicated to strengthening multilateralism – a pillar in Italy’s foreign policy – in view of establishing a world order based on clear rules and centered around the UN system. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses serious challenges to the multilateral system, undermining common trust among the different actors in the international community. It is precisely on the position to be maintained at the Ministerial Meeting in Bali with respect to the Russian Federation that Italy keeps in close coordination with its principal international partners, starting with those within the G7.
As is known, the war waged by Moscow has also had an impact on food and energy supplies, which is the focus of the afternoon working session. The triple threat comprising the pandemic, the war, and the tension with respect to supply chains, compounded to the hike in inflation, affects the entire international system and especially the most vulnerable Countries.
In relation to food security, Minister Di Maio’s address will highlight the Matera Declaration adopted under the Italian Presidency of the G20 which envisages numerous actions to combat the food crisis, including Italy’s initiative for a Ministerial Dialogue with Mediterranean Countries on the food crisis which was held last 8 June in Rome. In respect of energy security, Minister Di Maio intends to highlight the “energy diplomacy” action promoted by Italy and aimed at diversifying energy supply sources and limit the rise in energy prices while simultaneously passing concrete measures to help families and enterprises, reaffirming that the energy security goal is not alternative to, but synergistic with, the energy transition. In this context, mention shall also be made of the “Naples Principles” approved at the Energy and Climate Joint Ministerial Meeting held in Naples in 2021, which represent a further important legacy of the Italian Presidency of the G20.
