Opening of the G7 Summit in France: US-Iran agreement dominates the headlines.
Starting on June 15th, France officially hosts the G7 Summit. The focus of the agenda is expected to revolve around the US-Iran conflict resolution agreement recently announced by US President Donald Trump, along with a range of pressing issues from the Ukraine conflict to shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Taking place over three days in the picturesque Evian-les-Bains resort, this year's G7 summit saw host nation France's efforts to expand its influence by inviting leaders from Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, and South Korea.
Just before the summit, the agreement reached between the US and Iran to end the conflict forced leaders to quickly reshape the focus of their discussions. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the G7 would assess the "consequences" of this landmark agreement.
The top priorities set include: permanently reopening the vital shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz; easing global price pressures and diversifying energy sources to reduce dependence; and achieving a consensus on nuclear and ballistic missile activities in the region.
Besides the Middle East hotspot, the conflict in Ukraine continues to be a top priority for the bloc. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to be present on June 16 to participate in the thematic discussion session.
Zelensky revealed he would have a private meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss "potential ideas to help promote peace."
European and Canadian leaders are expected to use this occasion to reaffirm their position of urging Russia to accept a peaceful solution based on Kyiv's conditions.
Additionally, at this year's G7, a special meeting on cybersecurity for minors will take place, featuring global AI technology giants such as Sam Altman (OpenAI), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), and Arthur Mensch (Mistral AI).
To ensure absolute security for the conference, France deployed a large-scale security operation with thousands of police and soldiers, establishing a protective cordon across its border into Switzerland. This move comes amidst protests against the G7 that escalated into violent clashes with security forces in Geneva last weekend.
