French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron formally opened the 52nd G7 Summit in the spa town of Évian-les-Bains on Tuesday, welcoming leaders of the Group of Seven nations at a moment of heightened global uncertainty.

The summit is expected to be dominated by discussions on global security, economic stability and the recently announced peace framework between the United States and Iran.

Macron personally greeted each arriving leader, with videos of the welcoming ceremony shared on X to highlight the opening moments of the high-profile gathering. The first to arrive was US President Donald Trump, who was received by Macron and Brigitte Macron.

He was followed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accompanied by First Lady Victoria Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa.

The summit, hosted by France from 15 to 17 June, comes at a critical juncture marked by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and renewed diplomatic efforts in West Asia. Trump’s arrival in France followed his landing in Geneva before travelling to Évian-les-Bains on Monday. His participation is particularly significant given the announcement of a US-Iran peace framework, which is expected to be one of the central topics of discussion during the summit.

According to the White House, Trump travelled with a high-level delegation that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and several senior administration officials. This underscores the importance Washington places on the summit and the issues under discussion.

The summit follows a period of heightened tensions in West Asia. Earlier this month, Trump cut short his participation in the previous G7 gathering in Canada amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

Days later, he ordered US military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities before subsequently announcing a peace framework with Tehran. This sequence of events has placed the US-Iran relationship at the centre of global diplomatic attention.

In a video message released ahead of the summit, Macron outlined an ambitious agenda focused on addressing global crises, economic imbalances and emerging technological challenges.

He emphasised that the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Commission and the European Council would work together to advance discussions on major topics. Macron highlighted that the summit would address Ukraine, West Asia, international trade, energy security, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and global economic governance.

Macron also announced the participation of several outreach partners, including India, Brazil, Kenya and South Korea, along with representatives from key international institutions. India’s participation is particularly notable, marking its 13th appearance as a partner country at the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seventh consecutive attendance. This reflects India’s growing role in global governance and its deepening partnerships with major economies.

The summit in Évian-les-Bains thus represents a pivotal moment for international diplomacy, bringing together the world’s leading economies and partner nations to deliberate on pressing global challenges. The presence of outreach partners alongside the G7 members underscores the increasingly interconnected nature of global governance and the need for inclusive dialogue in addressing crises that transcend borders.

ANI