G7 summit in Puglia gets under way

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 13 - The three-day 2024 G7 summit in Puglia gets under way on Thursday, with Premier Giorgia Meloni welcoming the international leaders to the resort of Borgo Egnazia.
    The G7 leaders are expected to announce an agreement on the use of the profits from Russia assets frozen in the West following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine to set up a fund of around 50 or 60 billion euros for Kyiv.
    Washington has been pushing hard for this, but European nations have been more prudent due to technical issues regarding the legal implications of such a move.
    The crisis in the Middle East will be a key area of focus too.
    The Italian duty presidency of the G7 is also making sure there is great attention to the issues of migration and relations with developing nations, especially engagement with African States, for a cooperation model based on mutually beneficial partnerships, rather than the paternalistic or predatory approaches of the past.
    Artificial Intelligence is on the agenda as well.
    Indeed, Pope Francis will attend the summit on Friday, becoming the first pontiff to take part in a G7, and is set to talk about the need for ethical AI, as well as about efforts to bring about peace. (ANSA).