Reuters: al-Sharaa to Attend G7 Summit in France

Welat TV – Erbil

Reuters reported on Thursday, May 21, 2026, that Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, will lead a Syrian delegation participating in the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit scheduled to be held in France next month.

The agency cited informed sources as saying that an invitation had been extended to al-Sharaa to attend the summit, which will take place from June 15 to 17 in “Évian-les-Bains” in southeastern France.

The invitation was reportedly delivered by hand to Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yusr Barniya, who attended the group’s financial talks earlier this week in Paris.

A Syrian official familiar with the matter said Syria’s participation in the discussions will likely focus on the country’s role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains” following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of last February, which caused disruptions to the global economy.

The sources added that despite the lifting of sanctions on Syria following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, attracting foreign investment and restoring normal banking relations has proven “slower and more difficult” than expected.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yussir Barniya has been on an official visit to the French capital, Paris, since the beginning of the week to participate in the financial track meetings of the G7, attended by the President of the World Bank and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

The participation marks Syria’s first appearance at the summit since the forum’s establishment in 1975. Global leaders are expected to attend the gathering, including U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Group of Seven The Group of Seven is an intergovernmental political forum that includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The group discusses and coordinates solutions to major global issues, particularly in the fields of trade, security, economics, and climate change.