Italy’s PM Meloni Hosts the G7 Summit

Italy has invited more than ten additional nations to the G7 Summit to side conversations as the “like-minded” group attempts to shed the image that it is a club exclusive to the wealthy West.

In the Southern province of Puglia (Apulia), leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries are preparing for a three-day meeting to discuss world affairs.

The celebration will begin on Thursday at Borgo Egnazia, a lavish retreat favoured by pop icon Madonna and encircled by olive trees resembling a medieval village.

The heads of the state of the seven members – the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and the United Kingdom – as well as the presidents of the European Commission and Council, will be received by Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who is hosting this year’s summit.

Italy has invited more than ten additional nations to side conversations as the “like-minded” group attempts to shed the image that it is a club exclusive to the wealthy West. These include King Abdulla II of Jordan, President Abdelmajid Tebboune of Algeria, President Mohamed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

Notable absences include Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which Al Jazeera was able to view on a list of those invited.

Meloni, who will chair the summit as Europe’s rising star after her far-right party won the recent European Parliament elections that saw a shift to the right throughout the continent, is in a prime position at this moment.

The prime minister remarked, “I’m proud to be heading to the G7 with the strongest government of all,” as she travelled to Puglia.

Two important topics for national security, Africa and the Mediterranean, will be discussed extensively at the summit. Meloni is anticipated to broaden the “Mattei Plan”, her signature foreign policy initiative. With the goal of promoting Italy as a significant energy centre connecting Europe and Africa, the project seeks to reduce immigration to Europe by accelerating African prosperity.

Priority one on the agenda is also support for Ukraine. On the first day of the summit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive for two sessions devoted to the war-torn nation. The $50 billion loan for Ukraine, backed by earnings on Russian assets blocked in the West shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, is the most anticipated result of the G7. Even though several technical concerns still need to be resolved, there is political intent to announce a deal at the summit, an Italian source told Al Jazeera.

According to the source, such an agreement would, at a time when Moscow is steadily gaining ground in the country’s east and north and the Ukrainian military is facing increasing difficulties, convey a powerful statement of unity with Kyiv. The urgency has increased because of the possibility of a White House shift in the US elections in November.

Another session will focus on the Middle East, with discussions likely to be dominated by Israel’s war on Gaza. According to observers, leaders will probably restate their previous stances, which include urging Hamas to accept a cease-fire proposal from US President Joe Biden and highlighting the significance of a two-state solution for regional peace.

Pope Francis, who is being invited to the summit for the first time as a pope, will be among the attendees for a session on artificial intelligence (AI). After that, there will be more focused discussions on immigration, money matters, and the state of affairs in Asia Pacific.

On Saturday, a conclusive statement is anticipated. Usually, this is a document that outlines the course of action that the group’s members plan to take, outlining their goals and drafting future policies while providing transparency to the outside world.