Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy announced on Thursday that supporting African development and addressing the threats caused by artificial intelligence (AI) will be two of the country’s primary concerns throughout its one-year presidency of the Group of Seven.
Meloni, affirming Italy’s unwavering support for Ukraine in its conflict against Russia, cautioned that an additional escalation of the Middle Eastern dispute could result in “unimaginable consequences” during a comprehensive news conference.
Beginning in January, Italy acquired the G7’s rotating presidency, which is comprised of the following nations: the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Italy.
Throughout the year, it will serve as the venue for several kinds of ministerial meetings, one of which is a summit of world leaders scheduled for June. With that being said, Meloni expressed her intention to organize an AI-focused special session before June.
“I am hugely concerned about the impact (of AI) on the labor market,” she stated at the year-end news conference, which was postponed from last month due to her illness.”Today we are faced with a revolution where (human) intellect is in danger of being replaced.”
She expressed to journalists that a primary focus of her G7 would be to aid in the progress of Africa. She emphasized the importance of elevating local economies and living standards as a means of preventing prospective migrants from seeking refuge in Europe.
“What I think needs to be done in Africa is not charity. What needs to be done in Africa is to build cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals not predators. What needs to be done in Africa is to defend the right not to have to emigrate … and this is done with investments and a strategy.”
PM Meloni Stance On War:
The Ukraine war and the Israeli-Palestinian militant conflict in Gaza, along with other matters, are expected to occupy significant attention during Italy’s presidency. Late Thursday night, Meloni called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, her first interaction with an international leader as president of the G7, according to her office.
Meloni urged Israel to prevent civilian casualties during the Gaza conflict and stated that a more enduring resolution to the Palestinian issue was required.
“I believe…it’s an error to say ‘First let’s destroy Hamas and then we’ll talk about it’,” Meloni stated.”One of the best ways of calling the bluff of Hamas, which has no interest in the Palestinian cause, is to work for a structural solution of the Palestinian question,” she continued, adding that the European Union should take a more prominent role in diplomatic initiatives.
Meloni, who became Italy’s first female prime minister in October 2022, stated that she believed the West should continue to provide material and military assistance to Kyiv.
“The only way to reach any kind of diplomatic solution in Ukraine, any kind of negotiation, is to maintain the balance between forces on the ground.”
