G7 leaders will share the stage with leaders of India, Brazil, Turkey and other non-Western countries on Friday to lay out the changing global landscape on the second day of the summit.
Tough issues on the agenda include immigration, which has fueled the recent resurgence of populist and far-right parties in Europe and the United States. Leaders will also discuss economic competition with China, security in the Indo-Pacific and relations between the West and the South, which broadly includes Latin America, Africa and much of the Middle East and Asia.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, who hosted the meeting, said the purpose of expanding the guest list was to “strengthen the dialogue with countries in the Global South.” She insisted that the G7 was “not a closed fortress per se” but “our values that open up to the world”.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships outside the organization, especially with countries in the global South, as the world faces challenges such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas, which has May spread to Lebanon.
Much of the focus will be on leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who acknowledge that the West is less demographically and economically dominant in the world than it once was and are heeding calls Be more fair and balanced in major decisions.
Topics will include economic security, Africa, the southern Mediterranean and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
How to control immigration has puzzled the United States and Europe for years, exacerbated by the impact of climate change and wars in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Ukraine. It’s a particularly sensitive issue for Ms Meloni, who has been fighting what she calls “uncontrolled migration” from Africa and the Middle East into Italy and other parts of Europe.
While Europe welcomes thousands of Ukrainians, particularly women and children, who have fled Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officials have urged their European counterparts to help them repatriate men of fighting age.
But much of the day will be devoted to one-on-one meetings between leaders, including with Pope Francis, to whom Ms. Meloni has invited. After his speech, Francis will meet with President Biden, Mr Modi, Mr Lula, Kenyan President Ruto, Turkish President Erdogan and Algerian President Tebboune.
Biden is expected to leave Italy in the afternoon, hours before the final communique is released in the evening. Other leaders will conclude the day with a concert and informal dinner. On Saturday, the leaders will hold more bilateral meetings and a closing press conference.
