Lula to attend G7 Summit in Italy

This week, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will participate in the G7 Summit, a gathering of leaders from the world's seven largest economies. The event will be held from June 13 to 15 in Borgo Egnazia, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Lula's attendance is at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The G7 comprises Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Until 2014, Russia was part of the group, known then as the G8, but was expelled due to its annexation of Crimea, which had been part of Ukraine. G7 summits typically include guest countries.

This is the eighth time Lula has attended the G7 Summit. The first six occurred during his initial two terms in office, from 2003 to 2009. Brazil had not participated in a G7 meeting since then until Lula's seventh attendance last year at the summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Since last year, the Brazilian government has been in dialogue with Italian authorities, as Brazil and Italy hold the rotating presidencies of the G20 and the G7, respectively. The G20 comprises 19 of the world's largest economies, along with the European Union and the African Union.

At the G7, Lula will advocate for Brazil's G20 agendas: social inclusion and the fight against inequality, hunger, and poverty; tackling climate change with an emphasis on energy transition; promoting sustainable development across economic, social, and environmental dimensions; and reforming global governance institutions which reflects current geopolitics. Additionally, Brazil's agenda includes proposing a 2% global tax on the income of the super-rich.

On his way to Italy, the president will make a stop in Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the International Labor Organization (ILO) conference, which runs from June 3 to June 14.