G7 Countries and Purpose

G7 Overview

• An informal grouping of industrialized democracies that meet annually to address global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.
• Comprises seven countries: United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

History

• Formed in 1975 as the Group of Six (France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to discuss critical economic issues.
• Canada joined in 1976, making it the Group of Seven.
• The European Union became a full member in 1981 as a "non-enumerated" member.
• Russia joined in 1997, temporarily renaming the group to G-8, but was ousted in 2014 after annexing Crimea.

Membership

• All members are highly developed democracies with no official membership requirements.
• The G-7 member states' combined GDP accounts for over half of the global economy and 10% of the world's population.

Summit Participation

• Summits are held once a year, hosted by members on a rotating basis, with the host country setting the agenda and sending invitations to global leaders and international organizations.
• Non-member countries like China, India, Mexico, and Brazil have attended summits as special invitees.

45th G7 Summit

• Held in Biarritz, France in August 2019, with India participating as one of the four partner countries.
• The summit's five priorities include combating inequality, reducing environmental inequality, promoting peace, and addressing security threats.