G7 Summit Leaders Gather in Kananaskis Amid Tensions and Uncharted Territory
Kananaskis, Canada - The Group of Seven (G7) countries, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the US, began their 51st G7 Summit on a three-day meeting in Kananaskis. This year's summit comes at a crucial time, following the recent Israel-Iran war, the US tariffs imposed by President Trump, and ongoing diplomatic efforts to establish a trade deal with China.
US President Donald Trump is expected to participate remotely for the first time since 2018, when he walked out of the G7 summit. His absence sparked controversy last time, as his national security advisor John Bolton had warned that "America won't be their bank" and described other countries' expectations towards the US with disdain.
This year's agenda is packed with pressing global issues. The summit aims to provide a platform for leaders to exchange views on key concerns and priorities of the Global South. PM Narendra Modi, who will attend the summit as a special guest alongside heads of state from non-G7 countries, expressed optimism about forging new avenues of cooperation.
"We have an opportunity to thank our partner countries for their support in combating cross-border terrorism. We also look forward to engaging with leaders on pressing global issues and priorities of the Global South," PM Modi said on his three-nation tour visit in Cyprus.
As part of this extensive diplomacy exercise, he will be visiting Croatia next on June 18, marking a historic event as it is only the second foreign leader to visit Croatia as Indian Prime Minister. His meetings with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic are expected to pave the way for greater bilateral cooperation.
With no joint statement or communique planned at the summit this year, expectations are centered on meaningful discussions between leaders from diverse international backgrounds. The 3-day summit comes as tensions remain high following recent conflicts in strategic regions of the world. World observers await closely to observe how these influential leaders come together.