The Group of Twenty presidency is a "great responsibility" that will allow Italy to take forward its ideas on fighting COVID-19 and on economic recovery from the pandemic, foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said on Wednesday.
"We feel a great responsibility in taking on such an important role at such a difficult moment for the world, but we are also proud to do so," a foreign ministry statement cited Di Maio as saying.
Italy assumed the presidency of the G20 - the world's major advanced and emerging economies - on Tuesday.
"The G20 presidency will in fact allow us to carry forward, with the great of the earth, our ideas to combat the pandemic and promote sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic recovery," Di Maio continued.
Italy will arrange a series of high-profile political meetings during its presidency of G20 in which multilateralism, sustainable development and international trade are to be key themes.
High-level events to be held on 29 June, 30 June and 5 October next year will be organised around these themes, according to the statement.
Di Maio will chair the meeting of the G20 foreign ministers in Matera, which will be followed on the same day by a joint session with the group's development ministers. On 30 June, the development ministers will meet in Brindisi for an ad hoc session chaired by deputy minister Emanuela Del Re.
The meetings will centre on strengthening of multilateralism as a key tool for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, on food security and sustainable development, with a special focus on Africa, said the statement.
On 5 October Minister Di Maio will chair a G20 trade ministers in Sorrento on measures to promote a sustainable and resilient global economic recovery, to reform of the World Trade Organization and boost the presence of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in global markets.
