From the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia came “clear support for Ukraine, for international law and for just peace”. The Ukrainian president wrote it on Telegram, Volodymyr Zelensky, after the conclusion of the summit session dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine. «Every day we strengthen our positions and add strength to our defense of life», added Zelensky, «every meeting serves Ukraine to obtain new opportunities for victory. Thanks to all our partners! «President Biden's three-phase plan deserves our full support. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a lasting end to this crisis.” The president of the European Commission writes it on X, Ursula von der Leyen, on the sidelines of the G7 work in Borgo Egnazia. In the Middle East “we are ready to do our part with rapid and effective action for recovery and reconstruction, leading to a two-state solution”, he underlines.
Ten bilateral meetings and a public speech. The unprecedented participation of Pope Francis at the G7 in Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, includes a packed agenda in just 7 hours of visit, without counting the meetings already scheduled in the Vatican, the audiences with the president of Cape Verde and the artists of world of humor. The Pontiff will speak about artificial intelligence at the G7. Francis has repeatedly referred to the need to place ethical limits on a technology that lacks controlrisks fueling misinformation in unprecedented ways and poses unprecedented challenges on issues such as privacy and digital identity.
Technology respects human dignity, is his exhortation. But not only. For the Pope, there is high concern about the dangers of some applications of artificial intelligence used in conflicts. On the talks tables we will mainly talk about peace, as he himself announced, and how it may be threatened precisely by the risks of the use of artificial intelligence. The program, prepared by the Papal Household, was presented today by the press room of the Holy See. Bergoglio will leave at 11am tomorrow from the Vatican heliport to land after about an hour and a half in the sports field of the town in the Brindisi area which is currently hosting the informal intergovernmental group of seven economically advanced countries. The Prime Minister welcomed him upon his arrival Giorgia Meloni.
Immediate transfer by golf cart to the reserved residence, where a first block of bilateral talks is planned with Kristalina Georgievadirector general of the International Monetary Fund (International Monetary Fund); Volodymyr ZelenskyPresident of Ukraine; Emmanuel Macronpresident of France and Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. Subsequently, the Italian Prime Minister Meloni will officially welcome the Pope in the court of Borgo Egnazia, who will participate in the joint session in the Arena Hall, giving his speech. The other interventions will then follow.
In the second part, starting around 5.30pm, the official photo of all the participants is scheduled. And a further session of bilateral meetings: the Pope will see William Samoei Ruto, president of Kenya; Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, recently re-elected; Joseph Biden, President of the United States; Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil; Recep Tayyip Erdoganpresident of Türkiye and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, president of Algeria. In this second bilateral session, in addition to the conversation with Biden, the meetings with Erdogan (the Pope spoke with him by telephone last October, after the start of the conflict in Gaza) and with Indian Prime Minister Modi are interesting, whom Bergoglio had met in October 2021, at the height of the problems caused in India by the anti-conversion laws. At the end of the meetings, the helicopter with the Pope on board will take off around 7.45pm from the Borgo Egnazia sports field towards the Vatican heliport, where the landing should take place around 9.15pm.