Pandemic points to need to work together as Italy hosts G-20

Group of 20 ministers are meeting in southern Italy to explore how to better cooperate with the pandemic providing painful lessons on how interconnected the world is

MATERA, Italy -- With the pandemic providing painful lessons on how interconnected the world is, ministers from nations accounting for more than half the world’s population were meeting in Italy on Tuesday to explore how to better cooperate, including on vaccines and climate change efforts. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio cited both as areas where it’s imperative that countries pull together. He opened the appointment, attended by foreign ministers and development ministers from the Group of 20. Together the G-20 nations account for some 80% of the world's GDP. Some ministers were participating remotely because of COVID-19 travel concerns, including from China, Russia and Brazil. “In an interconnected world, multilateralism and international cooperation are the only effective instruments in facing global challenges," Di Maio said. “We have had an example of that with the vaccines.”