Milei, Lula, and Pope Francis to Attend G7 Summit

Argentine President Javier Milei, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Pope Francis, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will join a dozen heads of state and government invited by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to participate in next week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, official sources reported on Friday.

The unusually long list of invitees reflects Italy’s desire to broaden the horizons of the G7, a club of wealthy democracies. The G7 brings together countries that share fundamental principles and norms, but it is not closed off like a fortress. It opens itself to the world.

Diplomats had already released a list of many attendees for the meeting from June 13 to 15, including leaders from India, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Algeria, Kenya, and Mauritania.

All these countries have now confirmed their attendance, marking the first foreign trip for India’s Narendra Modi since his election victory this week and for South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, who lost the absolute majority this month.

However, much attention will be focused on a potential meeting between Argentine President Milei and his Brazilian counterpart Lula, South American neighbors who have openly criticized each other in recent months.

Authorities confirmed on Friday that both the Saudi Crown Prince and Jordan’s King Abdullah would attend the discussions at Borgo Egnazia, an exclusive resort in the southeastern Apulia region, highlighting concerns about the situation in the Middle East.

It is believed to be the first time a leader from Saudi Arabia, a country frequently accused of human rights abuses, has been invited to participate in a G7 summit.