Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, formally opened the Group of Seven Summit by telling fellow leaders they're meeting at “one of those turning points in history.”

Carney said the world is “more divided and dangerous” than during past summits and other "hinge moments," citing G7 gatherings after the fall of the Berlin Wall or the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States.

While Canada and newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney will try their best to avoid clashes with Trump, the Middle East conflict was the main point of discussion as the conflict between Iran and Israel has entered its fifth day.

The 51st G7 summit, the 57th annual meeting of the organization G7, is being held from 16 to 17 June 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. This is the 2nd G7 summit to be held in Kananaskis since the 28th G8 summit in 2002.

Originating from an ad hoc gathering of finance ministers in 1973, the G7 has since become a formal, high-profile venue for discussing and coordinating solutions to major global issues, especially in the areas of trade, security, economics, and climate change.

The G7 is composed of the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, but leaders from a handful of other countries, including Ukraine, are to attend this week's meeting, as well.

The G7 was founded primarily to facilitate shared macroeconomic initiatives in response to contemporary economic problems; the first gathering was centered around the Nixon shock, the 1970s energy crisis, and the ensuing global recession. Since 1975, the group has met annually at summits organized and hosted by whichever country occupies the annually rotating presidency; since 1987, the G7 Finance Ministers have met at least semi-annually, and up to four times a year at stand-alone meetings.

Beginning in the 1980s, the G7 broadened its areas of concern to include issues of international security, human rights, and global security; for example, during this period, the G7 concerned itself with the ongoing Iran-Iraq War and Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. In the 1990s, it launched a debt-relief program for the 42 heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC); provided $300 million to help build the Shelter Structure over the damaged reactor at Chornobyl; and established the Financial Stability Forum to help in "managing the international monetary system".

At the turn of the 21st century, the G7 began emphasizing engagement with the developing world. Worried world leaders shared about the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shared with the Group of Seven leaders a concern about the risk of escalation between Israel and Iran enmity. Speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer said that the talks will focus on de-escalation. Additionally, Starmer said he will discuss the final stages of the UK-US trade deal with US President Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump said that Iran was not winning its conflict with Israel and should re-enter negotiations "before it's too late."
"They have to make a deal, and it's painful for both parties, but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late," Trump said at the G7 summit. He reiterated Washington’s support for Israel, adding, “We’ve always supported Israel and Israel is doing very well here.”
The escalation follows a major Israeli operation that targeted 100 sites across Iran, including nuclear facilities. The strikes killed several nuclear scientists and top Iranian military officials, prompting a series of retaliatory attacks between the two nations.

The 2025 summit is the first summit for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. It is also the first summit for U.S. President Donald Trump since the 45th G7 summit in 2019.
The visit marks the first international visit to Canada for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, and marks the second visit to Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump and the first visit since the 44th G7 summit in 2018. It marks the third visit to Canada by French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In May, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was invited to attend. Following the announcement, she told reporters that she had not decided if she would attend, but that it was "a possibility". On 30 May, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was invited and is expected to attend. In June, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman was invited; however, on 12 June, it was confirmed that Salman would not be attending the summit.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was initially invited by Mark Carney to attend the G7 summit, which he accepted. However, on 12 June, Prabowo announced that he would skip the summit and meet Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.

Participants and representatives:

Country/Entity	Leader	Title
Canada (Host)	Mark Carney	Prime Minister
France	Emmanuel Macron	President
Germany	Friedrich Merz	Chancellor
Italy	Giorgia Meloni	Prime Minister
Japan	Shigeru Ishiba	Prime Minister
United Kingdom	Keir Starmer	Prime Minister
United States	Donald Trump	President
European Union	António Costa	Council President
European Union	Ursula von der Leyen	Commission President
Special Invitees
Australia	Anthony Albanese	Prime Minister
Brazil	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	President
India	Narendra Modi	Prime Minister
Mexico	Claudia Sheinbaum	President
South Africa	Cyril Ramaphosa	President
South Korea	Lee Jae-Myung	President
Ukraine	Volodymyr Zelenskyy	President

Invited Leaders:

Country/Entity	Leader	Title
Australia	Anthony Albanese	Prime Minister
Brazil	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	President
India	Narendra Modi	Prime Minister
Mexico	Claudia Sheinbaum	President
South Africa	Cyril Ramaphosa	President
South Korea	Lee Jae-Myung	President
Ukraine	Volodymyr Zelenskyy	President
NATO	Mark Rutte	Secretary General
United Nations	António Guterres	Secretary-General
World Bank	Ajay Banga	President

Invited Leaders Not Attending

Country/Entity	Leader	Title
Indonesia	Prabowo Subianto	President
Saudi Arabia (Crown Prince)	Mohammed bin Salman	Crown Prince
United Arab Emirates	Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan	President

Event calendar:

The Canadian Prime Ministerial Office has announced the following events:

12–14 March Foreign Ministers' Meeting Charlevoix, Quebec
20–22 May Finance Ministers and Central Governors' Meeting Banff, Alberta
15–17 June Leaders’ Summit Kananaskis Village, Alberta
Foreign Ministers' Meeting (12–14 March)

During the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Charlevoix on 12–14 March 2025 they made agreements on the issues: Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security; Regional peace and stability in the Middle East; Cooperation to increase security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific; Building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela; Supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and, Strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid warfare and sabotage.

Events leading to the summit

On 14 June, Canadian Prime Minister Carney and British Prime Minister Starmer held their bilateral meeting in Ottawa. On route to Ottawa, Starmer stated that "Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth” in the wake of President Trump’s threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. Upon arrival, Starmer had dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at his official residence at Rideau Cottage, later the two watched a National Hockey League game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. They agreed to establish an Economic and Trade Working Group and to deepen the Trade Continuity Agreement, while Carney committed Canada to ratifying the UK's accession to CPTPP. The meeting was the first between two international leaders since Israel's strikes on Iran starting the 2025 Iran–Israel conflict; Starmer began a diplomatic push to try to de-escalate the Middle Eastern crisis.

US President Donald Trump attends an arrival ceremony during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social account during a Group of Seven summit in Canada, without providing further details.

Leaders of some of the world's wealthiest countries have descended on a luxury mountain lodge nestled in Canada's Rockies for this year's G7 summit. The elite gathering comes as Western allies face numerous crises, from conflicts on three continents to global economic instability.
Canada is chairing the G7 this year and will host leaders of Italy, the US, France, Germany, the UK, and Japan in Kananaskis, Alberta. It has promised a set of streamlined priorities focused on the global economy and security. But Mark Carney's carefully planned agenda has now been upended by the Israel-Iran conflict. It is his first major international gathering as Canadian prime minister.

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