Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi opened the G7 interior ministers’ summit with a warning that international conflicts, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine, increased the risks of terrorist attacks.
The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine “are contributing to a growing polarisation in our societies, increasing the risk that some individuals may embrace violent ideologies and commit terrorist acts on our soil,” Piantedosi said.
We cannot afford to be unprepared; we must sharpen our ability to prevent such acts. There is no alarm but a heightened state of vigilance.
The G7 meeting in the town of Mirabella Eclano hosts the interior ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US, Vice President and Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, as well as Interpol representatives.
The ministers focused on “the exchange of information to detect potential threats at an early stage.” The focus then shifted to migration issues on Friday. This is a key day to discuss border affairs against the backdrop of recent tensions between European countries.
Ministers from Algeria and Libya, the deputy minister of Tunisia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the director-general of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also take part.
