Syria invited to G7 summit

Syria is expected to attend next month’s Group of Seven summit in France as a guest nation, represented by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The June 15-17 meeting will be held in Évian-les-Bains under France’s 2026 G7 presidency. If al-Sharaa attends, it would be Syria’s first participation in a summit of the group since the forum was founded in 1975. Reuters reported the planned attendance on May 21, and Arab News carried the same Reuters report. ### How was the invitation delivered? One of the sources told Reuters that an invitation to al-Sharaa was hand-delivered to Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh during G7 financial talks in Paris earlier this week. The report did not say whether Damascus had issued a public acceptance or whether France had formally published the guest list. (usnews.com) Paris has already set the summit dates and venue. The Élysée says France’s leaders’ summit will take place in Évian from June 15 to June 17, and the European Council’s summit calendar carries the same dates. ### Why is Syria’s presence unusual? Syria has not previously taken part in a G7 summit since the group was created in 1975, according to the Reuters report. That makes this a first for Damascus at the leaders’ forum, even though the G7 host country routinely invites non-member states as guests. (usnews.com) Ahmed al-Sharaa’s planned appearance would also put Syria’s new leadership into a setting usually dominated by the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and the European Union. (elysee.fr) Reuters identified al-Sharaa as Syria’s president in its report on the invitation. ### What do the sources say Syria would discuss there? (usnews.com) One Syrian official cited by 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. Reuters attributed that framing to the source, not to the French government or the G7 itself. The same report did not set out a formal summit agenda for Syria or specify whether al-Sharaa would take part in plenary sessions, side meetings or both. (usnews.com) The European Council says agenda details for the summit will be added about a week before the meeting. ### Has France published the full guest list? France has published logistics and presidency information for the Évian summit, but the material surfaced in this reporting does not show an official Élysée page listing Syria among invited guests. (arabnews.com) Reuters reported the invitation based on three sources familiar with the matter. A March Reuters report on France’s planning said G7 leaders often invite multiple guest countries and named several invitees for the June summit. (consilium.europa.eu) That earlier report did not settle the full final list visible in public materials reviewed here. ### What happens next before the summit opens? (elysee.fr) June 15 is the scheduled opening date for the G7 leaders’ summit in Évian-les-Bains, according to the Élysée and the European Council. French authorities in Haute-Savoie have already published security and access notices tied to the June 15-17 event. In the days before the meeting, France is expected to publish more operational details and the European Council says main agenda points will appear about one week ahead of the summit. (usnews.com) Any formal confirmation of Syria’s participation is likely to come through those channels or through statements from Damascus or Paris before al-Sharaa’s arrival. (consilium.europa.eu) (elysee.fr)