Italy has sought to re-launch multilateralism during G20 presidency, viewing it as the only way to tackle the challenges facing today's complex, increasingly unpredictable and inter-connected world, deputy foreign minister Marina Sereni said on Wednesday.
"The need to re-launch effective multilateralism...we have tried to retain in the G20 presidency in the face of the key global challenges which include the environment, energy, food security, health and the stability of large areas of the world," Sereni stated.
Sereni was speaking in Rome at a presentation of the foreign ministry's XII Festival of Diplomacy entitled 'Ready for the Unexpected?'
"We need to form a common front in the face of ever-faster and ever-less-predictable international developments," she said.
"We reasoned that the only way to make a contribution to the G20 was to re-launch shared responsibility and action. And we also dared to hold a summit on Afghanistan, which was successful," Sereni added.
Sereni referred to Tuesday's virtual G20 summit on Afghanistan. At the summit convened by Italy's premier Mario Draghi, G20 leaders agreed to task the United Nations with coordinating international aid efforts for crisis-hit Afghanistan.
