Biden, Meloni meet on sidelines of G7 summit but one notable matter wasn’t on the table: abortion

BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy (AP) — President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a lot to talk about Friday when they met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, but one notable matter wasn’t on the table: That’s abortion, an issue that emerged as an unexpected friction point among the democracies gathered in Italy.

Meloni’s right-wing government this week worked to water down references to abortion in the final statement issued by all the G7 nations at the end of the summit, prompting a disagreement between nations over language in the final draft on their shared commitments. That is according to two senior U.S. officials, a senior European Union official and two other officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss a statement that has not yet been made public.

The draft omits the word “abortion” but does reference the need to promote “reproductive health and rights,” according to a copy of the text obtained by The Associated Press.

A White House readout of the Biden-Meloni meeting made no reference to the issue and instead emphasized their common efforts to “deepen the U.S.-Italy partnership across a range of vital security, economic, and regional issues.” It cited Meloni’s “steadfast support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from Russia’s brutal war of aggression, including Italy’s critical security assistance.”

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