Italy assumes G7 presidency amid global challenges: Focus on Ukraine, China and ethical AI

“The presidency of the G7 begins and Italy will be the torch bearer of international politics”. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani tweeted on X. “From North to South we will welcome allies to address major global issues, from wars to climate change, from Africa to artificial intelligence. This is a great opportunity, we are ready”, added Tajani. Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, United Kingdom, USA and the European Union (EU) work under the umbrella of this informal dialogue of the Group of 7 (G7) and Italy took over the presidency from Japan on the 1 January this year. Italy’s leadership of the G7 comes at a critical time in global politics. The Russia-Ukraine war has caused a political, economic and energy crisis in Europe and Hamas’s attack on Israel has created clear divisions in the Middle East. The Red Sea and the Bab-al-Mandab are under attack by the Ansarallah, dealing a hard blow to European shipping links to Asia, and increasing the cost and time for ships to transit. Elections in Taiwan also add to the stress of the G7 calendar, especially after China’s President Xi Jinping has clearly mentioned that unification between Taiwan and China remains a priority for him. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni herself has led Italy’s exit from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Italy was the only G7 power to have signed the MoU during Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s tenure. Italy is still waiting to see if there will be trade repercussions from China for this withdrawal. Both G7 and European countries have to “de-risk” their economies from China, having figured out the massive control China exerted on their supply chains during COVID-19. To add to this Italy and Europe are dealing with a difficult illegal immigration crisis by sea from North Africa where illegal immigrants from Africa and Asia, at great peril, cross over in small boats with the hope of getting residency in Europe. It’s also an election year for Giorgia Meloni’s main ally, the United States, with the presidential elections scheduled for November 2024. The European Union also goes to election in June and a new European Parliament will mean new balances to strike for Italy to continue its agenda. Washington has made it known, right at the start, that it will be “fundamental” to keep Ukraine “among the priorities of the agenda (of G7)”, reports Italy’s oldest newspaper Corriere della Sera. A delegation from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, flew to the United States to discuss G7 priorities even before the actual takeover of the presidency. In confidential conversations with leading representatives of the White House, the State Department and the National Security Council, the Italian representatives noted the American administration’s desire to “increase” support for Kyiv. The Biden administration seems to be convinced that there is no margin for diplomatic negotiations today because Russia will want to continue the war effort “at least for next year”, also aiming for an outcome of the elections in the USA that “sees the most isolationist tendencies prevail”. The US believes that given the current situation, it will be necessary to “intensify military assistance” for Ukraine. For this reason, the G7 - according to Washington - will be “essential” to mobilise the maximum political and financial commitment, useful for “exerting pressure” on Moscow. Apart from Ukraine, pressing themes will be China, food security, supply chain resilience, migration, energy security and transition. Meloni had herself mentioned in Hiroshima, during the heads of state summit in 2023 that the ethical, legal and political ramifications of Artificial intelligence (AI) will also be an integral theme of the Italian G7 summit. Italy has decided to organise the heads of state summit in Puglia, in the south of Italy, a melting point between the west and the east, in June 2024 and expects to have various meetings all over the country. The Global South will be a priority for Meloni, carrying forward the importance that India gave the African Union and the Global South during its G20 Presidency in 2023. Her own Mattei plan is a sort of Marshall plan for Africa, which is to engage African nations for development and security. Italy is to lead the EU and the Mattei plan calls for more engagement with African leaders. The African Union and India are both expected to be invited as guests in June as is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Apart from all this, the G7 presidency is a sort of crisis response centre for geopolitical crises. With several wars simultaneously going on and a year of elections where over 4 billion people will vote globally, the Italian presidency expects a lot of excitement and responsibility. Autocracies will use every opportunity to influence elections this year to bring their allies to power. While this is Giorgia Meloni’s first term as prime minister, she has shown herself to be the right person for the occasion so far. In the case of the G7, Meloni will probably not disappoint. The author is an Indo-Italian entrepreneur and has over 24 years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience across a wide range of disciplines including pharmaceuticals, technology, renewable energy, strategic consulting, not-for-profit and development in over 30 countries. He is also the founder of the Dialogue on Democracy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. 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