19 May, Hiroshima (Japan). Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) placed wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan on Friday.
Additionally, they planted trees in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The G7 leaders posed for a photo after laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Memorial.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US President Joe Biden, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida posed for the photo.
Earlier, the G7 leaders were greeted at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as they arrived one at a time. US Vice President Joe Biden went visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with his wife Jill Biden. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was visited by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.
The sole building still remaining in the area, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (Genbaku Dome), depicts the aftermath of the city being hit by the first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. The G7 Summit, to be held in Hiroshima from May 19–21, is why the G7 leaders are now in Japan. Of note, Japan took over as G7 President in 2023.
Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany make up the G7 group. According to the statement, leaders from Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam have been invited by Japan as part of its G7 Presidency.
The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of the heads of state of the European Union (EU), France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada (in that order, according to the rotation of the G7 chair).
In a message, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated, “My hometown of Hiroshima will host the G7 Summit from May 19 to May 21. Hiroshima is a stunning city that front the serene Seto Inland Sea and is encircled by the verdant Chugoku Mountains.
“I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of the G7 leaders in Hiroshima. In addition, as the focus of the globe shifts to Japan this year, it will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the beauties of our nation, including its stunning landscapes, rich culture, delicious local cuisine, and cutting-edge technology.
Friday saw the departure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Japan in order to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. In a statement issued prior to his departure, PM Modi stated that he will travel to Japan to attend the G7 Summit at the request of Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan.
He claimed that the fact that India is now holding the G20 Presidency makes his attendance at the G7 Summit more significant.
In a tweet, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokeswoman for the Ministry of External Affairs, wrote: “PM @narendramodi leaves on a trip to Japan, Papua New Guinea, & Australia. His first stop on his trip is the @G7 Summit in Japan. a chance to interact in bilateral and multilateral formats with significant partners