Grottaglie, 13 June 2024: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Italy on Thursday to attend the G7 Summit.
The host Giorgia Meloni welcomed the Federal Chancellor in Borgo Egnazia where the summit took place.
A number of work meetings were on the summit agenda. Representatives of the European Union were invited alongside the G7 heads of state and government.
The opening session on “Africa, climate change and development” took place on Thursday.
Key issues addressed this year included Ukraine, the Middle East and artificial intelligence.
(Financial) support for Ukraine was also a key issue addressed at the summit.
The summit participants met with Ukraine’s President Zelensky on Thursday.
In their third work meeting the participants discussed how the non-recurring income from frozen Russian assets could be used to the benefit of Ukraine.
Scholz expressed his satisfaction with the first day’s results. The results include for Ukraine to receive a support package worth around 50 billion euros, funded with income from frozen Russian assets. “A historic step and a historic decision,” said Scholz.
On the fringes of the summit, the Federal Chancellor also held some bilateral talks, for example with US President Joe Biden.
The Federal Chancellor’s wife Britta Ernst joined her husband for dinner at the historic Castello Svevo in Brindisi.
Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella (centre) and his daughter Laura also attended the dinner.