The annual summit of the group of seven countries kicks off today in Italy. After her EU win, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is all set to host her fellow G7 countries - the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom - for the 50th summit in Puglia.
The G7 Puglia Summit will be held over three days from June 13 to 15. The summit will be held in Borgo Egnazia, a luxury hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant in the southern region of Puglia, Italy.
G7 Summit 2024: Which Countries Are Attending?
The G7 Countries will be accompanied by the European Union and the European Commission. EU leader Ursula von der Leyen will be in attendance to represent the regional bloc.
Along with these countries, Italy has invited leaders of Jordan, Ukraine, India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia. Mauritania, which holds the presidency of the African Union, has also been invited for the summit.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman is expected to attend the summit with Jordan's King Abdullah II. Pope Francis is also set to attend the talks.
Apart from this, the secretary-general of the United Nations and heads of the World Bank, the IMF, the African Development Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will also be in attendance.
G7 Summit 2024: Key Issues At Hand
Among all the key issues set to be discussed at the G7 Summit, the wars in Ukraien and the Gaza Strip remain at the top of the agenda.
The summit will kick off at 11:15 AM local time with a discussion on enhancing partnership in Africa, climate change and development. Later in the day, the G7 leaders will discuss the Gaza war and how to bring an end to the tensions in the Middle East region.
Along with the Gaza War, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war will also be discussed. This discussion will be led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy's address to the G7 leaders also comes ahead of the Peace Summit in Switzerland from June 16 onwards.
The G7 countries will also discussing expanding relations in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions. Furthermore, Pope Francis is expected to lead the talks on Artificial Intelligence and the need for human-control over AI tech.
Apart from the key issues and sessions for the summit, the G7 countries will also hold bilateral talks with each other and the invitee countries.
