G7 summit: four key issues on the agenda in Quebec

Leaders of seven of the world’s strongest economies are descending on the Canadian province of Quebec today for the 44th edition of the annual G7 summit. 

All eyes have turned to the US as it prepares to square up against its supposed allies, following threats of an all-out trade war from US President Donald Trump.

Commentators warn that this year’s summit, in rural Charlevoix, may be one of the most acrimonious in the G7’s history.

So what are the key issues on the table?

Russia

Russia was expelled from the then-G8 in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea. However, speaking to reporters outside the White House earlier today, Trump said Russia should be attending the summit. 

“I would recommend - and it’s up to them, but Russia should be in the meeting, it should be a part of it. You know, whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run,” he said.

CNBC says the remarks will “likely not help the president’s already tense relations with key allies in Europe, who have harshly criticised Russia’s intervention in Ukraine”.

Trump’s endorsement notwithstanding, The Guardian’s Graeme Wearden believes Putin will not be welcome to return, thanks largely to the G7’s ongoing dispute between the UK and Moscow following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the Wiltshire city of Salisbury in March.

The Iran deal

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he would abstain from signing a joint statement if progress could not be made on the Iran nuclear agreement, which Donald Trump nullified in May.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed her wish to reach an agreement on the deal, saying: “I will of course try to speak to the US president about the current problems, in particular on Iran.”

The other G7 members decried Trump’s decision to quit the deal, which EU leaders have vowed to uphold.

The US withdrawal went ahead despite intense pressure from Europe, indicating that attempts to resolve the White House’s objections to the agreement may fall on deaf ears once again in Quebec.

The Rohingya crisis

The talks may also be a turning point for the Rohingya people of Myanmar, following a brutal government crackdown that has forced nearly a million Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, to take part in an outreach session of the G7 Summit, reports Dhaka-based newspaper New Age.

David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, called the Bangladeshi government “strong and humane in offering sanctuary”, but added that “now is the time to double down on support, starting at the G7 meeting”.

The Rohingya issue has “particular relevance because it dovetails with the summit’s theme of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment”, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said, adding that she had heard many stories of rape being used as a weapon against women and girls fleeing the region.

No joint statement?

At the end of the summit, the seven leaders aim to sign a statement detailing joint policy decisions. However, according to Vox, “there’s a decent chance that might not happen this year”.

“France and Germany have warned Trump that they won’t sign the final agreement unless the US makes some major policy concessions,” the news site says. “Trump himself is reportedly contemplating not signing the joint statement, to show that the US is perfectly happy to go its own way.”

Merkel vowed to enter the talks “in good faith”, but stressed that there must be “no compromise for its own sake” and that a final statement by the host Canada “may be the more honest way”.