Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) are meeting on Friday for the final day of talks at the annual summit, with China at the top of the agenda, and a historic speech by Pope Francis on artificial intelligence is expected, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
The pope will be joined by 10 other heads of state and government, including the prime minister of India and the king of Jordan, as the G7 opens its doors to outsiders to show that it is not a remote, exclusive club.
On the first day of their meeting in southern Italy, the Group of Seven countries agreed to a $50 billion loan deal with Ukraine, backed by interest on frozen Russian assets, calling the agreement a powerful signal of Western resolve.
Although many details are still to be worked out, the G7 members - the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom - and the European Union are expected to contribute to the loan, and the cash will be disbursed to Ukraine by the end of the year.
"This is a very historic step we are taking today," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“It is also a clear signal to the Russian president (Vladimir Putin) that he cannot just sit back and hope that the financial problems in the country that supports Ukraine will allow him to win this war,” he added.
While the first day of talks was dominated by Ukraine, on Friday morning the key issue will be China.
The leaders are expected to express concern about China's excessive industrial potential and its support for Russia.
This week, the United States imposed new sanctions on Chinese firms that supply semiconductors to Russia, amid concerns about Beijing's increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan and clashes with the Philippines over competing maritime claims.
"China is not supplying weapons (to Russia), but the ability to produce those weapons and the technology available to produce them, so it's actually helping Russia," US President Joe Biden told reporters at the summit after signing a bilateral security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On Tuesday, the EU announced that it would impose additional duties of up to 38.1% on imported Chinese electric vehicles starting in July, risking retaliation from Beijing, which has vowed to take measures to protect its interests.
However, within the Group of Seven, as noted, there are disagreements over how to counter Chinese state subsidies, and Europe is keen to avoid a full-scale trade war with Beijing.
As for Pope Francis, in addition to his speech on artificial intelligence, he will have several bilateral meetings, including with Biden, Zelensky, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Папа Римський зустрінеться із Зеленським на саміті G7 в Італії13.06.24, 16:36 • [views_16539]
"This is a historic day. We will welcome the Holy Father. This is the first time the pontiff is attending the G7. I am proud that it will be held under the Italian presidency," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters on Thursday.
The leaders will also discuss immigration, a critical issue for Maloney, who is pushing Europe to help her curb illegal flows from Africa and has launched a flagship plan to spur development on the continent to address the root cause of the exodus.
Many leaders will leave Italy late Friday evening, including Biden, and Maloney said they have already agreed on the summit conclusions, which should be approved by the end of the day.
On Saturday, those who remain will have room for bilateral meetings before Maloney's final press conference.