G20: COVID-19 Summit in Rome tomorrow. Co-hosted by Draghi and Von der Leyen. Commission President to have audience with Pope on Saturday

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in Rome tomorrow, Friday, 21 May, to open the Global Health Summit together with Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Italy, for the Italian presidency of the G20. The summit will bring together the G20 and will be an opportunity for leaders, heads of international and regional organisations, and representatives of global health bodies to “share lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic”. It will develop and endorse a “Rome Declaration” of principles that will “guide a truly global response to future health crises”. Draghi and Von der Leyen will open the summit at 13:30, followed by a plenary session; the closing speeches of both “hosts” will take place at 17:15. At the end of the summit, at around 17:30, Draghi and Von der Leyen will hold a joint press conference. The following day, on Saturday, President Von der Leyen will have an audience with Pope Francis, followed by a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Valentina Bombelli