The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has communicated this Wednesday that he has sent invitations to the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to join a working session of the G7 that will take place next week in the French town of Evian.
In statements to the media, he pointed out that "We will hold a working session in which we will meet with the G7, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to talk about the war, the issue of Hormuz, negotiations on Iran, and energy, issues that have a real impact on our economies." With this expanded format, Paris aims to involve key actors in the region in the debate on the escalation in the Middle East and its economic consequences.
Macron has also added that another meeting is scheduled with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, with the aim of "restoring convergence within the G7" regarding support for Ukraine, both militarily and financially, as well as in the framework of peace negotiations and an eventual long-term political exit from the conflict.
According to the planned agenda, the heads of state and government of the G7 -- the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom -- will meet between June 15 and 17 in Evian, a French border town near Geneva, in Swiss territory, where discussions on security, Iran, energy, and the war in Ukraine will take place.