The 49th G7 Summit is to be held in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, from May 19th to May 21st. The main topics of discussion are the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War and strengthening the group’s economic resilience.
Image Source: Public Domain
What is the G7?
The G7 stands for Group of Seven and is a political forum consisting of the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The EU is also a member of the group as a non-enumerated member.
These are some of the most economically and politically advanced countries in the world and make up over half of the world’s economy.
The forum is not based on any treaty but functions rather as a rotating presidency that changes annually amongst member states. The main functions of the G7 are to foster close economic, political, and cultural ties between the member nations.
The group also wields significant international influence focused on dealing with climate change and providing financial aid to developing countries.
49th G7 Summit in Japan
The 49th Summit is being held in the Hiroshima Prefecture of Japan, starting today and lasting until May 21st. The leaders of the member countries attending are:
USA: President Joe Biden
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz
France: President Emmanuel Macron
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Japan: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Leaders of the G7 Countries, Image Source: Reuters
Along with member states, several other countries have also been invited to attend the summit. These are Australia, Brazil, India, Ukraine, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, the Comoros, and the Cook Islands.
The summit started with a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which is a memorial to the 100,000+ people killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The visit symbolises their commitment to peace.
The first day will mainly focus on the situation in Ukraine, and it is expected that more sanctions will be imposed on Russia. In the evening, the delegation will visit the Itsukushima Shrine island, followed by a working dinner on global security.
On the 20th, the main agenda is the strengthening of the economy and economic resilience. Interaction with the invited countries will also take place.
Discussion on global crises and sustainable development will also take place, reaffirming their commitment to a green world. A visit by the outreach countries to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is also planned.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Image Source: National Geographic
Conclusion
The 49th G7 summit is expected to increase sanctions on Russia as well as provide more support to Ukraine. This is evident with the invitation of Ukraine to the summit.
Narendra Modi is also expected to play an important role in the event and is expected to speak on food and energy security.
The decision to visit the Hiroshima Memorial symbolises their commitment to peace and denuclearization.