Bari – The red zone is surrounded by an impassable military cordon. Two kilometers radius from Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort in the province of Brindisi, where it is possible to move only if escorted. And, obviously, you can only access if you are part of the official delegations. Dozens of checkpoints have been set up outside the off-limits area. Residents of the area are also asked to undergo testing. The long queue of shuttles and cars that have to enter the district of the Municipality of Fasano does not go unnoticed. Then, 70 kilometers away, the journalists are hosted: more than a thousand reporters, arriving from all over the world, who must follow the proceedings through giant screens. Even if they traveled south along State Road 16 for an hour with a private vehicle, they would still not be able to get close to the farm that hosts the world leaders who arrived in Puglia.
Biden’s delay
It makes you smile that Giorgia Meloni opened the proceedings by saying: «The G7 is not a closed fortress that must defend itself from someone». The hostess was referring to “the offer of values” that member countries must share with the rest of the world. But from the point of view of journalists, so far from the location of the event, the organization coordinated by Elisabetta Belloni has built exactly a fortress that will not allow journalists to tell what happens inside Borgo Egnazia. At the opening, the summit had already accumulated a significant delay. The family photo was postponed by almost half an hour compared to the program due to Joe Biden. While waiting, Meloni took some selfies with photographers: «Now do I have to tag everyone? Let’s make the longest post in history…”, she joked in Roman dialect. The president of the United States arrived more than 20 minutes late: he took off his sunglasses, hugged Meloni – a greeting that was more affectionate than institutional – and prepared with the other leaders for the group photo.
The three themes of the first day: Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine
The first two sessions of the summit focus on «Africa, climate change and development» and «Middle East». If tomorrow – 14 June – the most awaited guest is the Pope, today the G7 heads of state are preparing to welcome Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. At least 10 bilateral meetings have been scheduled for the pontiff, who will arrive by helicopter around 12.30pm. There are also several face-to-face meetings set by Zelensky. The Ukrainian, who is expected to arrive around 2pm, will participate in a session dedicated to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Kiev will continue to be discussed at the following meeting, restricted to G7 members only. Zelensky said he was confident about the decisions that will be taken in Puglia regarding support for Ukraine: there is talk of an agreement “in principle” to provide 50 billion dollars in aid to Kiev, through the use of Russian assets frozen in abroad, and of an agreement between Ukraine and the USA that would bind Washington for ten years.
The citizens of Puglia, meanwhile, in addition to the blockades on the arterial roads connecting Bari and Brindisi, will tomorrow suffer the stoppage of regional trains moving along the lines of the South Eastern Railways. Replacement buses should however allow them to reach the locations between Martina Franca and Putignano, between Martina Franca and Taranto and between Martina Franca and Francavilla Fontana. For the journalists gathered in the media center of the Fiera del Levante in Bari, some organizational mix-ups are occurring. For those arriving by car – and public transport timetables cannot be relied on, especially these days – only a car park with limited spaces has been made available. To access it, however, you must first go through the accreditation desk, then park the vehicle in makeshift places, queue for accreditation and exit the Fair again to move the car. In short, not an easy arrangement, while the car parks inside the Fair remain incredibly empty.
Queues at the entrance
At the entrance reserved for the press, only three Carabinieri soldiers were responsible for controlling the access of over a thousand journalists. It was inevitable that a fairly slow queue would form: two carabinieri manually checked the inside of bags and backpacks, one passed the manual metal detector along the sides of the reporters. After a long avenue, a second check by the Police: in this case the operations are quicker and use the same tools found in airports. Inside the pavilion dedicated to the Italian and international press, an olive grove has been recreated with potted plants.
Chapel, play area, riot of food and very slow wi-fi
Maxi screens everywhere and food stands reign supreme: there is the dairy company that prepares the mozzarella on the spot, the waiters who cut the cheeses and offer oil and vinegar tastings. On the trays of the catering area, open 24 hours a day – from Japan to Canada, journalists will work in every time zone – there are riots of local fruit and cured meats. Around lunchtime, large trays of baked pasta and terracottas filled with chops with sauce draw attention to the rest of the delicacies. There is also a relaxation area with colored puffs and cushions, a space for prayer and a wing of the Fair where journalists can distract themselves with table football and pinball machines. And maybe wait while playing ping pong until the limping Wi-Fi finishes uploading.
Read also:
: Africa, aid to Kiev and some organizational flaws – Video){kind=link}