On June 15, the leaders of the Group of Seven Industrialized Countries (G7) began a 3-day conference in the French town of Évian-les-Bains in the context of the world facing many challenges in security, economy and geopolitics.
According to the agenda announced by the host country France, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are the key contents of the conference. In addition, G7 leaders also discussed global economic growth, energy security, international trade and emerging technologies.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his expectation that the conference will contribute to promoting diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, while limiting the impact of current crises on the world economy.
According to the plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend some discussion sessions of the conference.
The conference takes place in the context that global economic prospects continue to face much pressure. The World Bank has lowered its global economic growth forecast for 2026 from 2.9% to 2.5%, and warned that rising energy, food and commodity prices could increase inflationary pressure in many economies.
Ahead of the conference, tens of thousands of people participated in protests in the Swiss city of Geneva, about 50km from Évian-les-Bains. According to local police, about 20,000 people participated in the march organized by the "No G7" alliance.
Initially, the protest took place peacefully, but then clashes occurred between some extremist groups and security forces. Police used water cannons and tear gas after protesters threw bottles, stones, flares, and sabotaged some commercial facilities and burned cars on the streets.
Protesters protested against G7 policies related to economy, environment, social inequality and international conflicts.
To ensure security for the conference, France and Switzerland deployed thousands of soldiers and police forces to protect the conference venue and key traffic routes along the border between the two countries.
