TORONTO – Mario Draghi relaunches Italy’s role on the world stage. The G20 Summit, held in Rome over the weekend, was the first global meeting that saw the presence of the Greats of the Earth since the beginning of the pandemic. And the summit, despite some setbacks, ended with substantial success, with the climate agreement that brought together all the main international players and, on the sidelines, with the agreement between the European Union and the United States on aluminum and steel that puts an end to mutual tariffs and the trade war that broke out during the Trump administration. 

On the eve of the successful outcome of the G20 had been endangered by the decision of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to take part remotely, appealing to the excuse of the restrictions in force in their respective countries. It was Draghi who changed the schedule of the work program at the last moment during the first day of the Summit, to allow the Russian president and his Chinese counterpart to intervene. Both Putin and Xi Jinping, in their statements, have essentially demanded that the international community do everything possible for the recognition of vaccines that have been developed and approved by Moscow and Beijing.

“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, despite the decisions of the G20, access to vaccines and other vital resources is still not allowed to all countries that need them. This is caused by unfair competition, protectionism and the refusal by some countries, including G20 members, to mutually recognize vaccines and vaccination certificates.”

The non-presence of Xi Jinping and Putin has been criticized by Chrystia Freeland. “The G20 – said the Canadian Foreign Minister – is most effective when everyone is present”.

Yet the two defections did not undermine the final success. Draghi, for his part, has been very good at taking care of the details and mending the tears and divisions that have emerged recently. Highly symbolic, for example, was the bilateral meeting between the Italian Prime Minister and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the first summit after the controversy unleashed in recent months, complete with accusations and offenses (“dictator” and “liar”, just to name a few).

Draghi, in addition to doing the honors during the work of the G20 summit, also participated in a long series of bilateral meetings. Today, in the early afternoon, he met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: both reiterated the strong bond of friendship and collaboration between the two countries.

Just as the photo, here below, of the world leaders engaged in the launch of the coin in the Trevi Fountain also has a high symbolic value.