The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, participated in the second day of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, currently underway in Cernay-la-Ville, France.
The agenda was structured into three sessions: “Cross-cutting Threats and Sovereignty”, “Support for Ukraine” and “The situation in Iran and the Region”.
The discussions focused on:
- strengthening maritime and port security; combating drug trafficking and transnational crime; critical minerals. On maritime security, the Italian Government has launched significant initiatives, including the establishment of the National Underwater Hub in La Spezia, focused on critical underwater infrastructure, and the Agency for the Security of Underwater Activities. Regarding critical minerals, the aim was to consolidate a G7 strategy on the resilience of supply chains and the security of supply.
- Support for Ukraine: within the G7 framework, the initiative Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans for Ukraine plans to provide Ukraine with approximately EUR 45 billion in extraordinary loans, to which the EU has contributed EUR 18.1 billion. Launched in 2024, this initiative is one of the most significant achievements of the Italian G7 Presidency.
- Iran war and Middle East crisis, including Iraq and Lebanon: Ministers discussed G7 relations with Gulf countries, measures to strengthen ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and support for dialogue between the United States and Iran, as well as de-escalation efforts. The economic impact of disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and measures to ensure freedom of navigation were also addressed. Recent developments in Lebanon were analysed, including ongoing diplomatic efforts, alongside the worrying humanitarian and refugee situation.
