Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio is co-chairing the first Mediterranean Ministerial Dialogue on the global food crisis being stoked by Russia's 103-day-old invasion of Ukraine.
The event, taking place on Wednesday, aims to identify concrete measures to address the impact of the war in Ukraine on food security in the Mediterranean region. It will also be co-chaired by Germany (which holds the G7 presidency), G-20 member Turkey and Lebanon (a country hard hit by the crisis).
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation chief Qu Dongyu, ministers from 24 countries in the region and representatives of seven international organizations are due to attend Wednesday's meeting.
The meeting, proposed by Italy during its presidency of the G7 last year, gives a central role to countries most impacted by the current crisis and will lay the groundwork for discussions on food security at the G7 summit later this month.
The initiative is also part of the Matera Declaration of June 2021 in which G7 foreign and development ministers urged the international community to step up efforts to contain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, build resilient food chains and ensure adequate nutrition for all, in line with the UN's Zero Hunger goal set for 2030.
The Declaration, signed during Italy's G7 presidency, has become a key global food security document.
