UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – The G7 promises to “support” Ukraine “as long as necessary”, according to the draft final declaration, which also reaffirms its “collective efforts to disarm and dry up the financing of the Russian military-industrial complex”.
While Pope Francis arrived at the G7 summit for an unprecedented participation, the right to abortion remains absent from the draft final declaration after Italy’s opposition. The G7 also calls on China to stop supplying weapons components to Russia, and opposes its “dangerous” incursions into the China Sea and its overproduction. He promises to “sustain” Ukraine “as long as necessary”. He denounces Le Figaro takes stock of the progress of the G7 in Italy.
Pope Francis arrived at the G7 summit for an unprecedented participation
Pope Francis arrived on Friday at the G7 summit being held in Puglia (southern Italy), an unprecedented participation for a head of the Catholic Church during which he will speak on artificial intelligence.
The 87-year-old Argentine pontiff arrived in the middle of the day aboard a helicopter at Borgo Egnazia, the seaside resort where the heads of state and government of the world’s richest democracies are gathered, with whom he will also have talks. bilateral talks.
Right to abortion absent from draft final declaration after Italy’s opposition
The draft final declaration of the G7 summit does not include any direct reference to the right to abortion, the Italian presidency of the group having opposed it, according to the document consulted Friday by AFP.
The United States, France and the EU in particular wanted to retain the wording of the G7 declaration in Hiroshima in 2023 guaranteeing “access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care services”. They gave up due to lack of agreement with the head of the Italian government, the ultra-conservative Giorgia Meloni, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the G7.
G7 calls on China to stop supplying weapons components to Russia
The G7 calls on China to stop supplying weapons components to Russia at war with Ukraine, according to the draft final declaration consulted by AFP.
“We call on China to stop transferring (…) weapons components and equipment that supply the Russian defense sector”ask the heads of state and government, who received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
G7 opposes Beijing’s ‘dangerous’ incursions into the China Sea and Chinese overproduction
The G7 “opposes” to “dangerous” Beijing’s incursions in the South China Sea, according to a draft final declaration consulted Friday by AFP, in a context of risk of escalation in the region “Indo-Pacific”. “We continue to oppose China’s dangerous use of its coast guard and maritime militias in the South China Sea and its repeated obstructions of countries’ freedom of navigation on the high seas”affirm the heads of state and government.
The leaders also denounced the “overcapacity” of production in China, which is flooding Western markets with low-cost subsidized products, according to the draft final declaration consulted by AFP. They express their “concerns” on “non-market policies and practices” which lead to “global consequences, market distortions and harmful overcapacity in a growing number of sectors”.
G7 promises to “support” Ukraine “as long as necessary”
The G7 meeting in Italy promises to “sustain” Ukraine “as long as necessary”according to the draft final declaration consulted by AFP, which also reaffirms its “collective efforts to disarm and defund the Russian military-industrial complex”.
“We stand united in supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom and reconstruction for as long as necessary”say the heads of state and government, who received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday and promised him $50 billion from the income from frozen Russian assets.
