France invites Rwanda in G-7 Summit

Rwanda was invited along Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Burkina Faso and the African Union Commission. The G7 Summit is being organised from from 24 to 26 August this year at Biarritz.

France, the host country of G-7 Summit to be held on August 24 in Biarritz has invited Rwanda and its President Paul Kagame to take part in the meeting that will focus on addressing inequalities.

France made this announcement on Monday. Rwanda is among the only five African nations invited to take part in the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit. G7 is a club of top rich nations (major economic powers) and France is the current chair of the club.

The participants of the Summit are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States and European Union. Canada will be represented by Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister; France, Emmanuel Macron, President; Germany, Angela Merkel, Chancellor; Italy, Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister; Japan, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister; United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, Prime Minister; United States, Donald Trump, President, European Union, Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission President and Donald Tusk, Council President.

President of the European Commission has been a permanently welcome participant at all meetings and decision making since 1981. President of the European Council has been the European Union's co-representative since the 36^th Summit hosted by the Canadian President in 2010.

"To fight the battle against inequality, France is adjusting the format of @G7fr, involving new partners. Rwanda and its President @PaulKagame will be in Biarritz for #G7France," France tweeted.

[A renewed format for the G7]👉 To fight the battle against inequality, France 🇫🇷 is adjusting the format of the @G7fr, involving new partners!Rwanda 🇷🇼 and its President @PaulKagame will be in Biarritz for the #G7France! pic.twitter.com/9Bv4ZpJCg4

— G7 France (@G7) August 5, 2019

Rwanda was invited along Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Burkina Faso and the African Union Commission (AUC).

"Rwanda was invited as the former chair of the African Union, Egypt was invited as the current chair of the Union and South Africa as the incoming chair," France said.

The three countries form what is called the "Troika" of the African Union.

On the other hand, Senegal was invited as the current leader of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and Burkina Faso as the chair of G5 Sahel.

"The French Presidency wanted to involve Africa in the summit but also in the preparatory meetings," Minister of State in Rwanda, Nduhungirehe noted.

The minister highlighted that the five African countries have taken part in preparatory meetings and will take part in other subsequent meetings that lead up to the Leaders' Summit.

This month, the countries will participate in other meetings, which will discuss women entrepreneurship, digital transformation and transparency in public procurement.

The outcomes from the meetings are expected to be adopted at the main summit in Biarritz, France later this month.

This year's summit organised by France is motivated by the French President's belief that rich nations cannot continue to define the world order alone.

Last year in September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Emmanuel Macron stressed that "the time when a club of rich countries could alone define the world's balances is long gone."

That is why he wanted the French G7 Presidency in 2019 to be an opportunity to adjust the format of the group, the French Presidency said.

Macron wanted to involve major democracies with major regional influence, African partners to build a renewed partnership and key representatives of civil society.

The aim was to firm coalitions around projects and producing solutions to combat all forms of inequality more "effectively, legitimately and tangibly."