G7 Italia 2024

G7 Italia 2024
On January 1, 2024, Italy assumed, for the seventh time, the Presidency of the G7: the group that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The G7, in which the European Union also participates, is united by common values and principles and plays an invaluable role in defending freedom and democracy and addressing global challenges.
The Italian Presidency will last until December 31, 2024, and will feature a dense programme of technical meetings and institutional events throughout the country.
The main event, the Leaders’ Summit, will be held on June 13-15 in Apulia.
A key focus of the Italian Presidency will be the defence of the rules-based international system. Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine has undermined its principles and triggered growing instability, with multiple crises unfolding worldwide. The G7 will give equal importance to the conflict in the Middle East, with its consequences for the global agenda.
The relationship with developing Nations and emerging economies will be central. The engagement with Africa will be a key priority. We will work to build a cooperation model based on mutually beneficial partnerships, away from paternalistic or predatory logics. Particular attention will also be paid to the Indo-Pacific region.
Italy will ensure great attention to migration, together with some of the greatest challenges of our time, including the climate-energy nexus and food security. The G7 has the responsibility and duty to identify, together with its global partners, innovative solutions.
The Apulia Summit
The event will bring together the Leaders of the seven member States, as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission representing the European Union.
In line with previous G7 fora, representatives of a number of States and International Organizations will take part in the work, invited by the Nation that holds the Presidency.

13-15 June
G7 Leaders’ Communiqué – Borgo Egnazia, Italy
(Atlantic Council) Preamble
We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), gathered in Apulia to reaffirm our enduring unity and determination to meet global challenges at a crucial moment in history and as the international community confronts multiple interconnected crises. …
We are working together and with others to address the pressing challenges of our time. We are:
Standing in solidarity to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its reconstruction for as long as it takes. In the presence of President Zelenskyy, we decided to make available approximately USD 50 billion leveraging the extraordinary revenues of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets, sending an unmistakable signal to President Putin. We are stepping up our collective efforts to disarm and defund Russia’s military industrial complex.
United in supporting the comprehensive deal that has been put forward, that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a credible pathway towards peace that leads to a two-state solution. We also call for a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance.
Engaging with African countries, in a spirit of equitable and strategic partnership. As they work to deliver sustainable development and industrial growth for their people, we are advancing our respective efforts to invest in sustainable infrastructure, including through the PGII, and we launched the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative, together with several African partners.
Acting to enable countries to invest in their future and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing that reducing poverty and tackling global challenges go hand in hand. We are doing our part to achieve better, bigger and more effective Multilateral Development Banks, making it possible for the World Bank to boost its lending by USD 70 billion over the next ten years. We are calling for action from the international community to address debt burdens.
Reinforcing global food security and enhancing climate resilience, including by launching the Apulia Food Systems Initiative.
Reaffirming our commitment to gender equality. Together with International Financial Institutions, we will unlock at least USD 20 billion over three years in investments to boost women’s empowerment.
Taking concrete steps to address the triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, including by submitting ambitious 1.5°C aligned Nationally Determined Contributions. We will spearhead global efforts to preserve forests and oceans, and to end plastic pollution.
Affirming our collective commitment and enhanced cooperation to address migration, tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities that it presents, in partnership with countries of origin and transit. We will focus on the root causes of irregular migration, efforts to enhance border management and curb transnational organized crime, and safe and regular pathways for migration. We launched the G7 Coalition to prevent and counter the smuggling of migrants.
Deepening our cooperation to harness the benefits and manage the risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will launch an action plan on the use of AI in the world of work and develop a brand to support the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems.
Fostering strong and inclusive global economic growth, maintaining financial stability and investing in our economies to promote jobs and accelerate digital and clean energy transitions. We also remain committed to strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system and to implementing a more stable and fairer international tax system fit for the 21st century.
Acting together to promote economic resilience, confront non-market policies and practices that undermine the level playing field and our economic security, and strengthen our coordination to address global overcapacity challenges.

Italian Premier Meloni describes Putin’s cease-fire offer for Ukraine as ‘propaganda’
(AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Saturday dismissed a cease-fire offer for Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin as “propaganda,” as she wrapped up a Group of Seven summit that saw a deal reached for a $50 billion loan to Ukraine.
The loan will be provided by the U.S., U.K., Canada and possibly Japan, Meloni said. The frozen Russian assets to be used as collateral are mainly in Europe, “so Europe is already contributing by identifying the guarantee mechanism,” she added.
The loan agreement was reached at the opening Thursday of the two-day annual meeting of leaders from the G7 countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States in southern Italy’s Puglia region.
Asked about Putin’s cease-fire proposal, Meloni said it “seems to me more like a propaganda move than a real one.”
G7 confronts China on commerce, pope talks about AI
By Andrea Shalal and John Irish
(Reuters) – Pope Francis made an historic appearance at the Group of Seven summit on Friday to speak about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, while G7 leaders also pledged to tackle what they said were harmful business practices by China.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the summit host, invited the pope and other heads of state and government, including the prime minister of India and the king of Jordan, in an effort to show the G7 was not an aloof, exclusive club.
The pope, arriving in a wheelchair and warmly greeted by leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden and a fellow Argentine, President Javier Milei, acknowledged the ambivalence surrounding AI, saying it could inspire excitement and broaden access to knowledge.
“Yet at the same time, it could bring with it a greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes,” the 87-year-old said.
G7 leaders tackle migration, artificial intelligence on the second day of their summit in Italy
(AP) — Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations turned their attention to artificial intelligence, economic security and migration on the second and final day of their summit Friday, as their delegations worked on a comprehensive joint communique touching on many of the world’s major geopolitical and social challenges.
The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region is also discussing other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, Iran, the situation in the Red Sea, gender equality as well as China’s industrial policy and economic security.
The second day opened with a session on migration, with the leaders discussing ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys.
G7 agrees on loan deal to support Ukraine with Russian assets
(Reuters) – Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies agreed on an outline deal on Thursday to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine using interest from Russian sovereign assets frozen after Moscow invaded its neighbour in 2022.
The political agreement was the centrepiece of the opening day in southern Italy of the annual summit of G7 leaders, attended for a second successive year by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
He signed a new, long-term security accord with U.S. President Joe Biden after signing a 10-year security accord with Japan, with Tokyo promising to provide Kyiv with $4.5 billion this year — underlining continued strong backing from the West.
Janet Yellen: A New Way to Make Russia’s Assets Pay for Ukraine’s Defense and Rebuilding
The US Secretary of the Treasury, explains the Russian asset loan deal
In a First, Pope Plans to Attend G7 Summit
Francis is expected to join world leaders for the meeting in southern Italy to discuss the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
G7 meeting: Ukraine and Meloni take center stage
The meetings are hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is at the height of her political power after European Parliamentary elections last weekend. She stands in contrast to other G7 leaders from Canada, the US, the UK, Japan, and Germany, all of whom are on shakier ground domestically.
Meloni also invited an A-list of non-Western leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The highlights: Biden and Zelensky affirmed their partnership at a bilateral press conference. The group agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion to rebuild its devastated infrastructure with the understanding it would be paid back by interest earned on the frozen Russian assets. They also passed a new round of sanctions aimed at countering China’s effort to remake Russia’s defense industrial base.
The political agreement was the centrepiece of the opening day

6 lame ducks and Giorgia Meloni: Meet the G7 class of 2024
This week’s gathering of G7 leaders in Italy looks more like the last supper than a display of Western power.
The G7 summit features arguably the weakest gathering of leaders the group has mustered for years. Most of the attendees are distracted by elections or domestic crises, disillusioned by years in office, or clinging desperately to power.
Weakened Leaders of the West Gather in Italy to Discuss an Unruly World
The Group of 7 gathers major industrialized countries, but its leaders are politically weak and Ukraine and Gaza remain unsolved.
(NYT) Except for Ms. Meloni herself, every one of the leaders is arriving at the meeting beleaguered, embattled or endangered — an ill-starred convergence that speaks to the political tremors rattling across the West. It also doesn’t bode well for the results of a gathering that already faced vexing challenges, ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s global economic competition.
Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is three weeks away from an election in which his Conservative Party is expected to be swept out of power. President Emmanuel Macron of France has called a snap parliamentary election after his party suffered heavy losses to the far right in European elections.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and his Social Democratic Party were humbled in those elections as well, while President Biden is in a dogfight with his predecessor, former President Donald J. Trump. Even Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan faces rising unrest within his Liberal Democratic Party and may lose his job this autumn.
Anxiety about the role of the Group of 7 is nothing new: These seven countries account for a diminishing share of global gross domestic product. The leaders of China and Russia are conspicuously absent. (Russia was suspended from the group in 2014 after it annexed Crimea and left permanently in 2017.)
In a gesture to the changing world, Ms. Meloni has invited an A-list of non-Western leaders to Italy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and the president of the United Arab Emirates, Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. She also invited President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Pope Francis.

12 June
Biden and Zelenskyy will sign a security deal, as G7 leaders agree to use Russian cash to help Kyiv
(AP) — President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on Thursday when they meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy.
Negotiators for the group have also reached an agreement on how to provide Ukraine with up to $50 billion backed by frozen Russian assets.
The international group of wealthy democracies has been discussing ways of using the more than $260 billion in frozen Russian assets, most of which are outside the country, to help Ukraine fight Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
European officials have resisted confiscating the assets, citing legal and financial stability concerns, but the plan would use the interest earned on the assets to help Ukraine’s war effort. An official with the French presidency confirmed the agreement Wednesday, saying most of the money would be flowing to Ukraine in the form of a loan from the U.S. government backed by the proceeds of the frozen Russian assets in the European Union. Two other people familiar with the matter confirmed the arrangement.

G7 Puglia summit: Participants, agenda and key issues explained
(Reuters) The G7 comprises the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Britain. The European Union participates in all discussions and is represented by the presidents of both the European Council and the European Commission.
The host country traditionally invites outside guests to join some of the sessions. Italy has thrown open the doors and will this year welcome Pope Francis, the King of Jordan as well as the leaders of Ukraine, India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania, which holds the presidency of the African Union.
In addition, 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 be present.
On the Agenda
The summit is due to kick off at 11:00 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Thursday with a discussion about Africa, climate change and development. The conversation then switches to the Middle East before two sessions dedicated to Ukraine – the first including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Day two has sessions on immigration, the Indo Pacific and economic security before the arrival in the afternoon of the outreach partners for talks on the Mediterranean, energy and Africa. Pope Francis will lead talks on Artificial Intelligence.
Italy Set To Host 50th G7 Summit On June 13; PM Modi, Saudi’s MBS And More To Attend
Russia, China, Ukraine, Africa: What’s on the G7 agenda in Italy?
From frozen Russian assets to growing West-China tensions, leading advanced economies have thorny issues to tackle.
Leaders of advanced economies are gearing up for the annual Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Italy in a year marked by wars – in Europe and the Middle East – and growing competition between the West and China.
Trump’s potential return hangs over gathering of Western leaders
At a G-7 summit in Italy, far-right gains in European elections also loom large
(WaPo) …when Biden arrives in Italy on Wednesday evening for what could be his final G-7 summit as president, he will encounter nervous allies, who are closely following his rematch with Trump and are worried that Biden’s vow that “America is back” will no longer ring true when they gather again next year in Canada.
… Biden will also find a changed political landscape in Europe, even from just days ago when he was in France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Far-right parties in France and Germany made large gains in the weekend’s European Parliament elections, leading French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the French Parliament and call snap elections just weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics. Polls suggest Marine Le Pen’s far-right nationalists will make massive gains, potentially hobbling Macron’s agenda until the end of his presidential term in 2027.

25 May
G7 officials make progress but no final deal on money for Ukraine from frozen Russian assets
(AP) Finance officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies said they had moved toward agreement on a U.S. proposal to squeeze more money for Ukraine from Russian assets frozen in their countries. But the ministers left a final deal to be worked out ahead of a June summit of national leaders.
“We are making progress in our discussions on potential avenues to bring forward the extraordinary profits stemming from immobilized Russian sovereign assets to the benefit of Ukraine,” the draft statement said, without providing details.
Despite the progress made at the the meeting in Stresa, on the shores of Lago Maggiore in northern Italy, a final decision on how the assets will be used will rest with the G7 national leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, next month at their annual summit in Fasano, in southern Italy.

22 May
G7 finance chiefs seek common line on Russian assets, China
By Gavin Jones and Giuseppe Fonte
G7 finance chiefs gather in Stresa, Italy on May 24-25
US pushing for Ukraine loan backed by Russian assets
Technical aspects elusive, deal not expected this week
G7 seeking united front against Chinese trade threat
Global corporate tax, wealth tax also on G7 table
(Reuters) – G7 finance chiefs meeting in Italy this week will attempt to find common ground on pulling forward earnings on frozen Russian assets to boost funding for Ukraine’s war effort and pushing back on China’s growing export strength in key sectors, officials said.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies – the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada – will gather in the northern Italian lakeside town of Stresa on Friday and Saturday.

2 May
G7 Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Address Triple Planetary Crisis
– The communiqué describes the G7’s approach to accelerating its net-zero agenda by keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach, submitting 1.5°C-aligned NDCs under the Paris Agreement in a timely manner, and supporting the tripling of global renewable energy capacity.
– Among other commitments, the ministers pledge to step up actions for sustainable consumption and production through circular economy and resource efficiency, tackle global pollution, and strengthen and accelerate protection, conservation, restoration, sustainable use, and management of biodiversity and ecosystems.
– Annexed to the communiqué are the G7 Declaration on the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and an announcement of the G7 Water Coalition.
Climate, energy, and environment ministers from the seven leading industrial nations reaffirmed their determination to “fully deliver” on their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while leveraging synergies and preventing trade-offs.
(IISD) Climate, energy, and environment ministers from the seven leading industrial nations reaffirmed their determination to “fully deliver” on their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while leveraging synergies and preventing trade-offs.
The 35-page communiqué describes the G7’s approach to accelerating its net-zero agenda by keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach, submitting 1.5°C-aligned nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in a timely manner, and supporting the tripling of global renewable energy capacity. The ministers commit to strengthen the public sector’s leading role in enhancing energy efficiency interventions and to support developing and vulnerable countries in contributing to the global efforts towards doubling the energy efficiency rate to 4% by 2030.

IEA (International Energy Agency) Contributions to the G7 in 2024
G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment, Turin, 29-30 April
(IEA) The IEA contributed analysis across many important areas of the energy and climate agenda of Italy’s G7 Presidency ahead of the Ministerial-level meeting in Turin in April. The Agency’s work was highlighted extensively in the communiqué issued by the ministers.
IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol addressed leaders at both the opening and the closing of the meeting. He highlighted the urgent need to implement the energy outcomes from COP28, which provide a global framework for energy transitions – and emphasised that these transitions will only succeed if there is sufficient attention on developing diversified clean energy supply chains. The IEA is working closely with UN Climate Change and launched a new online resource in April 2024 that tracks progress on all of the COP28 energy outcomes.

28-30 April
G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment
Over the past few years, G7 and G20 leaders have also highlighted the important role of cities in implementing innovative urban development approaches and creating a global transformation process towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These and other challenges for a fair and inclusive energy transition will be the focus of this G7 Ministers’ Meeting, aimed at adopting ambitious measures to accelerate the reduction of emissions, ensuring the security of energy systems and the economic development of countries.

24 April
Dispatch from Rome: Political stability gives Italy a chance to step into the spotlight
Stability at home translates to leadership abroad
(Atlantic Council) … A year and a half into her tenure, Meloni maintains strong approval ratings. She faces no real threats from the opposition or her coalition partners. … Both those in power and in opposition predict that Meloni will last for the remaining three years of the legislature—barring any twists, which even now no one can write off in Italy.
An important part of this stability comes from the fact that Meloni’s foreign policy priorities are largely supported among Italy’s policymakers and fit within transatlantic priorities. Initially feared as another weak link in the European Union (EU), Meloni has shown herself to be staunchly pro-Ukraine. She is a Euroskeptic but not anti-EU. And while US President Joe Biden differs from her on several notable domestic policies, he has found an ally in Meloni. … She has played a delicate balancing act on China, officially leaving the Belt and Road Initiative—Italy being the only Group of Seven (G7) country to have signed on—while still maintaining economic ties with Beijing. If anything, Meloni’s domestic opposition criticizes her for a lack of follow-through, especially on Italy’s aid to Ukraine and the funds pledged for development projects in North Africa.
Uncontested leadership and support for its foreign policy priorities allow Italy’s government to be much more impactful abroad. This stability comes at an opportune time. Italy holds the G7 presidency in 2024 and for that reason is in the driver’s seat when it comes to advancing the vision of the “steering committee for the world’s most advanced democracies,” as described by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Stability and popularity also allow Rome to make its priorities for the West heard, most notably the security of the Mediterranean and Western outreach to Africa.

18-19 April
Communiqués of the Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting
Ministers gathered in Capri and adopted three final documents.
The G7 Foreign Ministers under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, met in Capri from 17 to 19 April. Here are the final documents drawn up at the end of the sessions.
SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST – pdf

STEADFAST SUPPORT TO UKRAINE – pdf

ADDRESSING GLOBAL CHALLENGES, FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS – pdf

G7 foreign ministers meet on Capri amid Israel-Iran tensions
Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) economic powers are meeting on the Italian Mediterranean island of Capri. Tensions in the Middle East and aid to Ukraine amid a Russian invasion will be major topics.
(DW) The meeting of G7 foreign ministers on Capri will discuss a response to Tehran’s attack on Israel last weekend as fears of a wider Middle East conflict grow.
The meeting, which ends on Friday, is also to look at ways of aiding Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its territory.

28 March
The G7 needs a permanent secretariat. The 2024 elections cycle demonstrates why.
(Atlantic Council) This “year of elections” has the potential to reshape global politics. At first glance, among the Group of Seven (G7) nations, there are only general elections scheduled in the United States and the European Union (EU). However, it is widely expected that the United Kingdom and Japan will likewise hold general elections this year, with multiple EU member states joining them, too.
These elections could change the foreign policy trajectory of the G7, even if key players such as US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen retain their seats. At the same time, the G7 faces a slew of challenges. Among these are the emergence of a new “axis” among Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as the continued strategic challenge posed by China. There is also the potential for current progress on climate action to be derailed by climate-skeptic populist governments. Amid all of these challenges and more, the G7 must be able to continue its work as “a steering committee for the free world,” as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan described it.
To ensure the G7 stays the course amid potential future political upheavals, pools its staff resources, and develops a separate policymaking capacity alongside its presidency, it must commit to establishing a permanent secretariat.
In many ways, the G7 is already drifting toward establishing a permanent secretariat. The days in which the G7 was solely a “fly-in, fly-out” summit series ended with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as G7 members made regular contact with each other to develop global health policy and address the global economic slowdown. This dynamic was further reinforced when G7 leaders held emergency meetings to coordinate their responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, as global security continues to deteriorate, from the emergence of the “coup belt” in Africa’s Sahel region to the twin threats of the Israel-Hamas war and Red Sea crisis, the G7 must maintain political inertia to head off these dangers. Meanwhile, the current G7 contact structures are insufficient for the tasks at hand.
A permanent G7 secretariat would offer several important benefits. Firstly, with the numerous elections taking place in 2024, policy continuity after changes in government will be vital for global security. This dynamic is especially visible with the growing debates in the US Congress over aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. While a secretariat would not necessarily guarantee such aid, it would partially institutionalize such policies.