OTTAWA (Alliance News) – Under the motto “Think ahead, act together”, the 41st edition of the summit of the “Group of Seven Nations” (G7) will take place in German luxury hotel Schloss Elmau, in Bavaria, from June 7 to 8.
The main topics on the agenda are the global economy, trade, foreign affairs, security and health and development issues. Leaders will also discuss the upcoming UN negotiations to develop a new international climate change agreement and the UN’s post-2015 sustainable development agenda.
G7 leaders will take stock of the global economy. They will assess progress on Financial Market Regulation, and on the road to a fair and modern tax system. On the global trade agenda, G7 leaders are expected to further commit to open markets and fight protectionism, to contribute to the full implementation of the WTO Bali package, and to take stock of major ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. Discussions on how to better apply international social and environmental standards in global supply chains will also be on the agenda.
Leaders will exchange views and seek common ground on the most pressing foreign policy challenges, including the situation in Ukraine, relations with Russia, humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq, as well as the situation in Libya. They will also address security policy issues, particularly the fight against terrorism.
The White House said that at the Summit, the US will affirm the importance of maintaining sanctions on Russia to incentivize full implementation of the Minsk agreement, and also to serve as a deterrent against further Russian aggression. The leaders will also discuss Iran.
The White House added that there will be an opportunity with (Iraq’s) Prime Minister Abadi to sit down and review the progress that we’ve made in terms of our counter-ISIL strategy.
G7 leaders will discuss the next steps towards a new international agreement on the future global framework for poverty eradication and sustainable development, the so-called “post-2015 development agenda.” The G7 conclusions will be a vital contribution to the Third International Conference “Financing for Development” in Addis Ababa (July), and the UN summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in New York (September).
Leaders will also discuss the upcoming UN negotiations to develop a new international climate change agreement.
Other topics, as set out by this year’s German presidency, include protection of the marine environment and resource efficiency; antibiotic resistance, neglected and poverty-related diseases, and Ebola; and the empowerment of self-employed women and women in vocational training.
The G7 is a group of seven like-minded, advanced industrial economies, and its leaders taking part in the summit are US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
The EU will be represented by the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Council President of Donald Tusk.
A number of third country heads of state and government, as well as chairpersons of international organizations, are also invited to participate in the summit. They include Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Liberian President of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Senegalese President Macky Sall and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, OECD Secretary-General José Ángel Gurría, Chair of the Commission of the African Union Dlamini Zuma, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, International Labor Organization Director General Guy Ryder and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo will also be present.
This is the second G7 that takes place excluding Russia, following their illegal annexation of Crimea.
Germany will hand over the G7 Presidency to Japan for 2016.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
