By inviting five emerging countries, including the Indian and South African giants, particularly exposed to the risks of a food crisis, the G7, meeting at the summit in Bavaria, seeks to broaden the front of the democracies against Moscow and Beijing.
The leaders of India, Argentina, Senegal, Indonesia and South Africa, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, joined the talks on Monday afternoon, at Elmau Castle, at the foot of the Bavarian Alps.
For the host of the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this invitation should show that the “community of democracies” is not limited to “the West and the countries of the northern hemisphere”.
In a G7 dominated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, but also by the climate and food crises, “dialogue with these essential countries” playing “regional leadership roles” is a “good thing”, explains Thorsten Brenner, Director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) analysis group.
Courted countries
“The G7 must make it clear that while Russia’s war, not sanctions, contributes to global food security problems, the West on its part takes responsibility for advancing food security in the most vulnerable countries,” said Mr. Brenner.
In the morning, the seven Heads of State and Government launched a new appeal to Moscow to ensure the “free passage” of foodstuffs from Ukraine.
But this invitation of countries which represent more than 1.7 billion inhabitants takes on other strategic issues, five months after the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
The G7 is indeed seeking to tie India, Senegal and South Africa to its camp, which abstained during the vote on a UN resolution condemning the Russian attack.
On Monday, these three countries co-signed a G7 declaration on democratic values which undertakes in particular to “respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other States” while opposing “the threat or use of force”. .
“Different Views”
“On the war in Ukraine, we have different views, we all know that, which is why it is important that we talk about it together and that we exchange our respective points of view”, underlined Mr. Scholz at the end. of the encounter.
These countries are also at the same time being courted by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who on June 22 advocated a stronger role for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in connection with countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Russia is thus in the process of “actively redirecting its trade flows and its external economic contacts towards reliable international partners, above all towards the BRICS countries”, underlined Mr. Putin, citing for example “talks on the opening of Indian chain stores in Russia”.
India in particular is seeking a difficult balance between its relations with the West and with Russia, which provides it with a large part of its arms and energy needs, against a backdrop of rivalry with Beijing.
This G7 has also put on track, at the initiative of the United States, a vast investment program, intended to mobilize 600 billion dollars by 2037, for developing countries, supposed to respond to the immense projects financed by China.
Indonesia also occupies a special place, with its presidency this year of the G20, whose summit is scheduled for November in Bali. Vladimir Putin should go there, according to an adviser to the Russian president.
The country has been under strong pressure from the West, led by the United States, to exclude Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.
But Jakarta resisted, arguing that its position as host required it to remain “impartial”, according to Indonesian Head of State Joko Widodo, who also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Westerners have finally made up their minds and are ruling out any boycott of the summit. It would be their first physical meeting with the Russian president since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24.
“The G20 is too important for emerging countries for us to let Putin destroy it,” said Mr.me von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.