Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) nations are preparing for a three-day summit in the southern Italian region of Puglia. The event commences on Thursday at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort, nestled among olive trees and renowned for its medieval village ambiance, favored by celebrities like pop icon Madonna.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, hosting this year’s summit, will welcome heads of state from the seven member countries—United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and the United Kingdom—alongside leaders from the European Council and European Commission.
Seeking to transcend its image as an exclusive club for wealthy Western nations, the G7 has invited over ten additional countries for sideline discussions, including figures like UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed, Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Notably absent are Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as per sources from Al Jazeera.
Prime Minister Meloni arrives amidst a pivotal moment, hailed as Europe’s emerging political force following her far-right party’s recent victory in the European Parliament elections, signaling a rightward shift across the continent.
“I am honored to lead the G7 with the strongest government,” Meloni remarked en route to Puglia.
The summit will prominently feature discussions on Africa and Mediterranean security, with Meloni expected to champion her flagship foreign policy, the Mattei Plan. This initiative aims to establish Italy as a key energy hub linking Europe and Africa, aiming to foster African growth and reduce migration to Europe.
Top of the agenda is support for Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slated to attend for dedicated sessions on the conflict-torn nation. A significant outcome sought by the G7 is a $50 billion loan agreement for Ukraine, leveraging frozen Russian assets in Western countries since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Italian sources express political resolve to finalize the deal at the summit, despite remaining technical details.
Such an accord, sources affirm, would underscore solidarity with Kyiv amidst ongoing military challenges and Russian advances in Ukraine’s eastern and northern regions. The upcoming US presidential elections further intensify urgency around these discussions.
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