Geopolitical crises, economic cooperation, artificial intelligence to be key focus areas of G7 meet in France: Sources
Paris, June 12
Global attention turns to the French resort town of Evian next week for the 52nd G7 Summit. The summit would formally commence on Monday with a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron for G7 leaders and representatives of the European Union. The G7 Summit, to be held under the French presidency, is expected to focus on geopolitical crises, economic cooperation, artificial intelligence, and developmental partnerships.
According to sources, the first day of the summit on Tuesday will include a session on Ukraine in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, followed by discussions involving Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The outreach session on "Tackling the Global Imbalances" will bring together invited countries such as India, Kenya, South Korea and Brazil to deliberate on reducing macroeconomic disparities and promoting balanced growth.
Sources underlined three key words for the summit- concrete measures, reconvergence and international action on ongoing crises.
"First, a G7 of concrete measures, including measures on AI, including measures on protection of childhood online, and including measures on cancer, where you need a lot of cooperation," the source said.
The second theme, "reconvergence", focuses on reducing global macroeconomic imbalances through greater coordination among nations and international institutions.
"Our thinking on that is that when you take every part into account, there are global imbalances that can be mortal for every region. We need to have this discussion, including the IMF, including the World Bank and international institutions, to first agree on a consensus on the situation and, second, agree on possible measures that can be taken at the G7, or later at the G20," the source added.
The third priority, according to the source, would be international action on contemporary crises, including the conflict in Ukraine and the escalating tensions in West Asia involving Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.
"The third keyword of our G7 is international action on the crisis of the day. And of course, you'll have a lot of discussions on Ukraine. And as you've seen lately, with Hormuz and Iran, Israel, Gaza, or Lebanon, this would be an important part of the discussion. So here are three messages. Concrete measures, reconvergence, and international action on the crisis,"sources said.
Prime Minister Modi will attend the summit at the invitation of President Macron, marking India's 13th participation as a partner country and the Prime Minister's seventh consecutive appearance at the forum.
India is set to bring its voice to key discussions on the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and the pressing challenge of global economic imbalances on the second day of the summit. New Delhi's participation in the outreach sessions of the summit, despite being a member state, underscores its growing role in shaping conversations on major international issues.
Earlier, during a special briefing on Prime Minister Modi's visit, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said the summit would provide an opportunity for India to engage with world leaders on issues of significance to both India and the Global South.
"The visit will provide an opportunity for the Prime Minister to engage with world leaders present at the summit on issues of importance to India as well as the Global South," George said.
He added that the outreach discussions would broadly focus on the renewal of international partnerships and developmental solidarity, fostering shared and balanced growth, and the effective and efficient rollout of artificial intelligence.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, partner countries and heads of international organisations.
Twenty-three years after hosting the 2003 G8 Summit and seven years after the 2019 G7 Summit in Biarritz, France's Evian is once again set to become the centre of global diplomacy as leaders gather to navigate a world grappling with economic uncertainty and multiple geopolitical flashpoints.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's good to see India involved in these discussions, but I hope the G7 actually delivers concrete results. The 'reconvergence' idea sounds nice, but reducing macroeconomic imbalances requires more than just talk. Will they commit to real action, especially on climate and AI ethics?
Honestly? I'm a bit skeptical. The G7 is still a Western club, and we're just an 'outreach' guest. Our presence is important, but will they listen to our concerns about the Middle East or just push their own agenda? We need more than photo ops, we need policy wins.
Great to see AI being a focus! India has so much to offer on the tech front. Hopefully, this means better regulations for online safety and child protection. The 'concrete measures' they mentioned are crucial—we can't afford vague promises anymore.
As an American living in Mumbai, I see both sides. The G7 needs India's voice on global imbalances, but India also benefits from these partnerships. Let's hope the talks on Ukraine and Gaza lead to something meaningful—the world is too divided right now.
India's participation is a big deal, but I hope we don't just play along with the G7's narrative. Our position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is balanced—we need to maintain that. Also, the Middle East situation is critical. Let Modi ji use his diplomatic skills to push for peace. 🙏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.