Anyone expecting clarification on the sidelines of the G20 summit will be disappointed. Giorgia Meloni and Paolo Gentiloni are both in New Delhi for the summit, but they have a lot to do for these two days, which the criticism of the Prime Minister herself and her two deputies against the Italian EU Commissioner, who heads the government, does not change is has made it clear that he expects “extra attention.”
The Prime Minister is focused on the summit dossiers, on the meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, a new step towards a painless exit from the Silk Road, and on work to strengthen relations with the global south and, in particular, with Africa. And Gentiloni has no desire to get involved in the controversy opened by Rome.
However, one observation came from Brussels. European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant avoided any comment on the Italian executive’s notes, noting: “We obviously know what the role of a European commissioner is and how European commissioners represent the European interests they represent in their portfolios.” collegial interaction”. There is no meeting between Gentiloni and Meloni, argue Italian sources, who, as always on these occasions, will have a moment of discussion with European leaders Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mark Rutte (the Spaniard Pedro Sanchez is missing due to Covid). ). Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti is also staying out of the controversy because he could meet Gentiloni in Delhi to welcome him. Apparently Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also at the G20 summit and wanted a meeting between the EU, the African Union, the World Bank and the IMF.
The Italian government claims to have put Africa back at the center of European politics, with the belief that moves on that continent will be crucial in the complex geopolitical chess game in an increasingly multipolar world. The rival now is China: the point is not to fight it but to compete, according to the guidelines of Meloni’s Mattei plan.
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the country now faces the crucial challenge of leaving the Silk Road. After Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s visit to Beijing, the Chinese Prime Minister’s request for a meeting was received “with great willingness.” “Both sides wanted to see each other,” explain authoritative sources. The Italian position on the agreement signed by the Conte government in 2019 is now clear.
There is life even after the Silk Road, diplomatic sources report, emphasizing that there are definitely millennia-old relationships between the two countries.
In any case, it is clear that Meloni wants to pay more attention to the global south from a political and economic perspective, and he will also discuss this with the leaders of the IMF and the World Bank.
Beyond the established trade relations, one cannot remain closed in the European fortress; that is the meaning of the strategy. Now that relations with Moscow and Beijing have become more complex after the war in Ukraine, it is important for Rome to network with the other BRICS countries. And the focus is primarily on India. An axis that is strengthened in the bilateral agreement with the landlord Narendra Modi, and from this point of view too it is essential for Rome that the G20 summit in New Delhi is a success. The agreement between the EU, the USA, some Gulf states and India to build a railway infrastructure between Europe and Asia will also be included in the positive balance. The resumption of relations with Japan, Taiwan and South Korea is also essential for Italy. The focus of the bilateral agreement between Meloni and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will be the production of microchips and batteries.
We are also working on a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, while that with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took place in the now usual friendly atmosphere: cooperation on the migration dossier is the focus, but also the challenges of artificial intelligence, one of the crucial ones Points from one of the Prime Minister’s two speeches at the G20 summit.
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