BARI, Italy, June 14 ------ Group of Seven (G7) leaders hold a final day of talks at their annual summit on Friday, with China topping the agenda before Pope Francis puts in a historic appearance to discuss artificial intelligence (AI).
The pope will be joined by 10 other heads of state and government, including the prime minister of India and the king of Jordan, as the G7 throws open its doors to outsiders to show it isn't an aloof, exclusive club. During the first day of their meeting in southern Italy, the G7 nations agreed on a deal to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine backed by interest from frozen Russian assets - hailing the accord as a powerful signal of Western resolve.
Although many details still need to be worked out, G7 members - the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Britain - and the European Union (EU) are expected to contribute to the loan, with cash to reach Kyiv by the end of the year. "This is a very historic step we're taking today," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "It is also a clear signal to the Russian President (Vladimir Putin), that he can't just sit this out and hope that fiscal problems in a country that backs Ukraine will one day let him win this war," he added.
While Ukraine dominated the first day of talks, China will be the key issue on Friday morning. Leaders are expected to voice concern about China's excess industrial capacity and its support for Russia.
Source: rappler.com
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