HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20 ― Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will leave the G7 summit in Hiroshima early and return home to deal with devastating floods that have killed 14 people, a diplomatic source said today.
Six months’ worth of rain fell in 36 hours in the Emilia-Romagna region, with the floods described as the worst the country has seen in a century.
The source said Meloni would leave the summit this evening, returning home a day before talks close tomorrow.
A final communique has already been issued, and Meloni has also met with the summit’s surprise guest star ― Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Leaders at the gathering in the Japanese city have offered their support to Meloni, who shared images of the disaster during talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that France was “ready to provide every useful help”. ― AFP