France broadens G7 scope

France has invited Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to attend the June 15-17 G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains as a guest, according to Reuters reporting published on May 21 and carried by Arab News. Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Syria would be represented by Sharaa, making it the country’s first participation in a summit of the Group of Seven since the forum was founded in 1975. France is hosting the 2026 summit under its current G7 presidency, with official French and EU pages listing the meeting for June 15-17 in southeastern France. ### How was the invitation delivered? One source cited by Reuters said an invitation for Sharaa was hand-delivered to Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh during G7 financial talks in Paris earlier this week. Reuters said the invitation was for the leaders’ summit in Évian-les-Bains, a resort town on Lake Geneva in southeastern France. (usnews.com) Arab News, which carried the Reuters report, said the same three-source account described Syria as attending as a guest nation rather than as a member of the group. The G7’s core members remain Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the European Union also represented at the summit. ### Why is Syria’s presence unusual at a G7 summit? (usnews.com) Reuters reported that Syria has never before taken part in a G7 summit since the forum’s creation in 1975. That makes Sharaa’s expected appearance distinct from the summit’s usual format, in which the host country sometimes invites non-member states and leaders to join selected discussions. (arabnews.com) The official Élysée page for the 2026 summit says France’s presidency will culminate in Évian from June 15 to 17. The Council of the European Union lists the same dates for the next G7 summit in France. Neither of those official pages, in the search results reviewed, set out a final guest list. ### What do the Reuters sources say Syria plans to discuss? Reuters said Syria’s participation would likely focus on the country’s role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains” after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (usnews.com) The report also said Barnieh had been expected to attend G7 financial talks in Paris, where discussions were to focus on Syria’s sustainable recovery and reintegration into the global financial system. (elysee.fr) Those points were attributed in the Reuters-based accounts to sources familiar with the matter. Enab Baladi, citing Reuters, said the Paris discussions were expected to cover global trade tensions, the repercussions of war in the Middle East, and supply-chain and energy pressures. Reuters’ own excerpt visible in search results does not provide further public detail on whether those topics will appear on the leaders’ agenda in Évian. (arabnews.com) ### What has France said publicly about the summit itself? The Élysée says France has held the G7 presidency since January 1, 2026, and that the summit will take place in Évian “at the crossroads of Europe” from June 15 to 17. France’s Interior Ministry page gives the same dates and says the French presidency’s interior track is organized around fighting organized crime, terrorism and violent extremism, and migrant smuggling. (english.enabbaladi.net) A French government pass page says President Emmanuel Macron announced at the end of the Kananaskis summit on June 17, 2025, that Évian would host the next leaders’ summit. That page also repeats the June 15-17, 2026 schedule. ### What happens next in Évian? The next formal step is the leaders’ summit itself, scheduled for June 15-17 in Évian-les-Bains. Reuters said Sharaa had been invited to attend those meetings, while official French and EU pages confirm the dates and venue for the summit France will chair. (elysee.fr) (usnews.com) (pass-g7.gouv.fr)