(From left to right) European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida , British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 Summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 13, 2024. Photo: AFP/VNA

Welcoming the G7 leaders, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday that the summit venue is in southern Italy and through the summit, Italy wishes to strengthen its dialogue with the nations of the Global South. She compared the G7 to the ancient olive trees that are a symbol of the Puglia region, “with their solid roots, and branches projected toward the future.”

The conference was attended by leaders of Canada, the US, UK, Italy, France, Germany, and Japan, as well as leaders of the European Council and European Commission.

Pope Francis has also been present, marking the first time a pope has attended a G7 Summit. He will deliver a speech later on Friday on the promises and risks that artificial intelligence (AI) brings, and call for an end to current conflict in the world.

The three-day summit’s agenda includes sessions on African development and climate change, the Middle East situation, conflict in Ukraine, migration, and the Indo-Pacific region and a special session focusing on AI and energy.