What is the G7 Summit?
The G7 is an informal group of leading industrialized nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The leaders are scheduled to discuss a range of issues, including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and technology.
G7 leaders pose for a group photo during a visit to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on May 19, 2023. Photo: AP
This year, Japan will host and hold the rotating presidency. As has been the case in recent years, leaders of some non-G7 countries and international organizations will also attend some sessions of the conference.
The first summit took place in 1975, when France hosted the then-G6 meeting to discuss how to deal with the economic downturn following the Arab oil embargo. Canada became the seventh member a year later. Russia joined to form the G8 in 1998 but was ejected after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Who will participate?
This year, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam have been invited. The invitation to leaders outside the G7 is intended to expand cooperation to more countries.
The G7 countries’ share of global economic activity has fallen to around 30% from around 50% four decades ago. Emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil have made huge gains, raising questions about the relevance of the G7 and its role in leading a world economy that is increasingly dependent on these emerging economies.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden and their wives walk at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on May 19, 2023. Photo: AP
Leaders of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization were also invited to attend the conference.
Why Hiroshima and what is the top issue?
Hiroshima is the hometown of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. His choice of venue underscores his determination to put nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation at the top of the conference's agenda.
The path to nuclear disarmament seems more difficult with weapons threats, despite the dangers that are present in the war in Ukraine and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Prime Minister Kishida is trying to forge a path between the harsh reality of today and the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Today, he will welcome the leaders to visit some meaningful places in Hiroshima, such as Hiroshima Peace Park, the A-bomb Museum, and may hold a meeting with Hiroshima survivors of the atomic bomb dropped by the US during World War II.
“I believe that the first step toward any nuclear disarmament effort is to provide first-hand experience of the consequences of the atomic bombing and convey it in a realistic way,” Kishida said last Saturday as he arrived in Hiroshima to observe preparations for the conference.
G7 leaders are expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will participate in the meeting via videoconference. Regional tensions will also be discussed, along with global security, economic and climate issues.
Huy Hoang (according to AP, Reuters, Kyodo)
Source
Comment (0)