Italy's Mario Draghi still hopes to hold G20 summit on Afghanistan

Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi Thursday said Rome still hopes to hold an ad hoc summit of the Group of 20 major economies on Afghanistan, adding that any such meeting would take place after this month's UN General Assembly.

Italy, which holds the rotating G20 presidency this year, has previously signalled it was looking to call a one-off summit in the middle of the month. The United Nations assembly ends on September 30.

Draghi told reporters that Europe had to do a better job of confronting such crises. "It is unthinkable that things can carry on like this," he said.

Earlier, Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, in a parliamentary hearing, has said that Rome was working on the idea of organising an ad hoc summit of the G20 on Afghanistan.

"Due to its structure and representation, the G20 can be an important multilateral platform for responsible and coordinated management of global challenges," Di Maio told members of parliament.

Italy, which holds the rotating G20 presidency this year, wants an in-depth debate on Afghanistan.