G7 summit: Who is attending and what’s on the agenda?

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US – volition conscionable connected Sunday successful the distant municipality of Kananaskis, Alberta, nestled successful the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, for 3 days of aggravated discussions.

This volition beryllium the 51st G7 acme meeting. The archetypal took spot successful 1975 successful Rambouillet, France. Back then, it was known arsenic the G6 meeting, arsenic Canada did not go a subordinate until the pursuing year.

Russia joined the forum successful 1998, making it the G8, but was efficaciously expelled successful 2014, pursuing its annexation of Crimea. Since then, the forum has been known arsenic the G7.

Tensions astatine this year’s gathering, taking spot June 15-17, are apt to beryllium precocious for galore reasons.

Intense discussions are expected astir the unfolding situation successful the Middle East aft Israel carried retired monolithic strikes connected subject and atomic sites successful Iran connected Friday. This year’s gathering besides takes spot against the backdrop of aggressive commercialized tariffs acceptable – and past paused for each countries but China, which has present reached a woody with the US – by US President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney whitethorn besides inactive beryllium reeling from comments by Trump that Canada should go the 51st US state. In May, Carney stated that Canada was “not for merchantability … ever” during a gathering with Trump astatine the White House.

The G7 represents 44 percent of planetary gross home merchandise (GDP) but lone 10 percent of the world’s population. Within the group, the US is by acold the largest economy. Having campaigned for the presidency connected an “America First” message, Trump has often expressed displeasure astir however overmuch it contributes to planetary affairs.

At the past G7 acme attended by Trump successful 2018, his nationalist information adviser, John Bolton, posted connected societal media: “Just another G7 wherever different countries expect America volition ever beryllium their bank. The President made it wide today. No more.”

So, who is coming this twelvemonth and what volition they beryllium talking about?

Who is attending the G7 gathering this year?

Canada is hosting this year’s G7 gathering – it’s the seventh clip it has assumed the presidency of the group. Besides leaders of the G7 countries and the EU, which is besides represented astatine the summit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited respective heads of authorities from non-G7 countries arsenic guests.

These see Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who confirmed her attendance connected Monday aft saying successful May that she was undecided, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was invited, but it is unclear whether helium volition attend.

The invitation for Modi has raised eyebrows successful Canada. Relations betwixt India and Canada person been strained since erstwhile Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of assassinating a Sikh separatist leader successful Canada successful 2023. The World Sikh Organisation said Carney’s invitation was a “betrayal of Sikh Canadians”, and the Sikh Federation of Canada called it “a sedate insult”.

But Carney, who is trying to diversify Canadian commercialized distant from the US, defended his decision, saying it makes consciousness for the G7 to invitation India, since it is the world’s fifth-largest system and is astatine the bosom of a fig of trading proviso chains.

“In addition, bilaterally, we person present agreed, importantly, to continued instrumentality enforcement dialogue, truthful there’s been immoderate advancement connected that, that recognises issues of accountability. I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi successful that context,” Carney told reporters successful Ottawa.

In March, Carney besides invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to this week’s gathering.

Leaders of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea are besides expected to attend.

[Al Jazeera]

Will they sermon US commercialized tariffs?

During his existent tenure arsenic president, Trump has imposed broad tariffs connected each subordinate of the G7, arsenic good arsenic connected astir different countries astir the world, sparking a planetary commercialized warfare successful the process. Trump says helium wants to reverse ample commercialized deficits betwixt the US and different countries.

However, it is improbable this contented volition beryllium formally addressed during G7 discussions arsenic Carney volition chiefly beryllium trying to forestall a fallout implicit commercialized betwixt the subordinate states, galore of whom are inactive scrambling to secure commercialized deals with the US.

The UK reached the first commercialized agreement with the US successful May, erstwhile it agreed to trim tariffs connected US goods from 5.1 percent to 1.8 percent and supply greater entree for US goods. In return, the US dropped higher tariffs, leaving lone its cosmopolitan 10-percent tariff successful place.

Both the EU and Japan are hoping to onslaught their ain agreements earlier the July 9 extremity of Trump’s 90-day intermission connected reciprocal tariffs.

Trump besides had a rocky narration with the G7 during his archetypal word arsenic US president and near the 2018 acme – besides successful Canada – successful a huff. At the extremity of what was thought to beryllium a palmy gathering, Trump wrote connected societal media that helium had directed his unit not to motion the last communique – the connection G7 countries contented successful a amusement of unity astatine the extremity of the acme – and called then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “very dishonest and weak”.

Even though the communique is ne'er usually formally “signed”, the incidental pointed to Trump’s unpredictability, experts say.

John Kirton of the G7 Research Group, based astatine the University of Toronto, said Trump is little apt to origin a country this year. He told Indian transmission NDTV World that Carney is connected amended presumption with Trump and noted that the US is owed to big the G7 successful 2027. “He doesn’t privation to termination the G7 aureate goose earlier helium tin nutrient the ‘biggest, champion acme ever’ for the full satellite signifier 2 years from now,” Kirton said.

So, what volition beryllium connected the docket for this G7 meeting?

The G7 2025 acme website lists 3 halfway actions connected the docket for this year’s discussions: “Protecting our communities astir the world”; “Building vigor information and accelerating the integer transition”; and “Securing the partnerships of the future”.

But G7 leaders are apt to absorption connected the unfolding conflict betwixt Israel and Iran.

If this does not predominate discussions entirely, different items connected the docket astatine this year’s G7 acme are apt to beryllium planetary commercialized issues, the Russia-Ukraine warfare and China.

Israel-Iran crisis

Julia Kulik, manager of strategical initiatives for the G7 Research Group astatine the University of Toronto’s Trinity College, said conversations connected planetary bid that would person focused connected the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s warfare connected Gaza volition present apt pivot to Iran.

“There volition beryllium pugnacious questions from different leaders astir the array to Donald Trump astir what went incorrect with the negotiations and astir what he’s going to bash to get Israel to de-escalate earlier things get worse,” Kulik told Al Jazeera.

The G7 “was designed to beryllium a situation effect radical with the quality to enactment and accommodate rapidly to planetary challenges … truthful successful immoderate ways it’s bully they’re gathering this play arsenic they’ll person the quality to respond quickly”, she added.

Robert Rogowsky, prof of commercialized and economical diplomacy astatine the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said determination is nary mode G7 members tin debar the taxable of the latest situation successful the Middle East. “That attack, counterattack, and the US declaration that it was not progressive and its informing astir staying distant from American assets arsenic targets is apt to beryllium the archetypal happening discussed, arsenic it present creates the anticipation of a real, all-out warfare successful the Middle East. The large neighbouring parties volition person to determine however to align themselves.” Rogowsky said.

Global trade

While Carney is hoping to screen uncontroversial themes, specified arsenic gathering friendlier planetary proviso chains for materials similar captious minerals, China whitethorn besides beryllium a absorption of discussions.

Following a gathering of G7 concern ministers successful Canada successful May, the radical issued a associated communique saying they would proceed to show “nonmarket policies and practices” which lend to imbalances successful planetary trade. The connection did not notation China, but “nonmarket policies” often notation to export subsidies and currency policies that the Trump medication says supply an vantage successful planetary trade. The connection was seen arsenic a swipe astatine China’s commercialized practices, successful peculiar its lending practices, which galore spot arsenic adding indebtedness for poorer countries.

Leaders of the G7 are besides expected to sermon concerns astir rising tensions betwixt China and Taiwan successful the East and South China Seas, arsenic good arsenic China’s expanding subject beingness there.

Russia-Ukraine war

A associated connection of G7 overseas ministers pursuing an earlier gathering successful Quebec successful mid-March expressed beardown enactment for Kyiv. It said concern ministers had “discussed imposing further costs connected Russia” if Moscow did not hold to a ceasefire.

The UK and the EU announced a caller circular of sanctions against Russia successful May, but Trump, who has been conducting discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the US would not travel suit.

Sanctions against Russia and achieving a ceasefire may, therefore, besides beryllium a absorption of discussions this week.

Global development

This could beryllium a thorny issue.

Global development, peculiarly successful African countries, has agelong been a superior absorption of G7 discussions. However, this year, the US has made wide that it wishes to de-prioritise economical and humanitarian assistance for different countries. It has mostly shuttered the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and says it plans ample cuts to backing for different wellness and improvement initiatives overseas, arsenic well.

What meetings could instrumentality spot connected the sidelines of the G7 summit?

US-EU

Donald Trump is expected to clasp meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Japan’s premier minister, Shigeru Ishiba. Both leaders are anxious to hold connected a commercialized woody with Trump arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to debar reciprocal tariffs, owed to travel backmost into spot pursuing a intermission successful aboriginal July.

US-Canada-Mexico

Trump, Carney and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum whitethorn besides clasp a abstracted gathering of North American leaders connected commercialized and borderline security. In February, Trump postponed his planned 25-percent import tariffs connected Canadian and Mexican goods astatine the past minute. Canada’s then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sheinbaum some agreed to summation borderline information to forestall the trafficking of drugs and migrants into the US, averting a commercialized war. Trump says helium has been peculiarly acrophobic astir the travel of the cause fentanyl into the US from some Canada and Mexico.

US-South Africa

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has told reporters helium volition person a 2nd gathering with Trump during the G7 summit, pursuing the 2 leaders’ meeting successful Washington, DC, connected May 21, erstwhile Trump accused South Africa of “genocide” against achromatic farmers. Earlier successful May, 59 achromatic “refugees” were flown from South Africa to the US as portion of a relocation program for achromatic South Africans devised by the Trump administration.