G7 Summit: Divisions expected at global meet
As trade war looms large, G7 leaders gather in France for their annual summit. Global challenges up for discussion range from economy, to climate change.
Hours before the G7 Summit was due to start, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif was already in Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. No pictures of the meeting were released, probably so as not to anger US President Donald Trump. The meeting behind closed doors at the Elysee Palace highlights the very different approaches of the United States and Europe towards Iran.
A number of other countries have been invited to this years summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will be attending, and the growing tension between his country and Pakistan over Kashmir is bound to be discussed.
Ever since Trump took office, the issue of climate change has been one that has caused divisions at global summits. It may well again be six versus one – with Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leading calls for the thousands of fires burning in the Amazon to be treated as an international crisis.
Al Jazeera’s James Bays reports from Biarritz, France.