Summit in Canada
Ukraine, the Middle East, the global economy and artificial intelligence – the G7 heads of state and government discussed these and other topics in Canada. Federal Chancellor Merz concluded by expressing his satisfaction that there had been complete consensus on all issues.
On the last day of the summit, Ukrainian President Zelensky and other partners of the G7 heads of state and government took part in the discussions.
Photo: Federal Government/Guido Bergmann
“There has been complete consensus among the G7 states on all issues, including the conclusions we draw from them”, said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday. On the second day of the meeting, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, one of the topics discussed was the war in Ukraine. There was a consensus both in the Group of Seven and in the European Union: “We will continue to support Ukraine militarily”, said Chancellor Merz.
One important topic was concluded on Monday, he said, “namely, our joint stance on the conflict surrounding Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”. At the end of the first day, the G7 agreed on a joint declaration on the developments between Israel and Iran.
Read the joint statements of the G7 here:
G7 Leaders’ Statement on Recent Developments Between Israel And Iran
G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression
G7 Leaders’ Statement on AI for Prosperity
G7 Leaders’ Statement on Countering Migrant Smuggling
G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan
Kananaskis Wildfire Charter
Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies
“The G7 is an unbeatable group – and responsible for 44 per cent of the global economy”, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised on Monday. On the first day of the summit, the G7 heads of state and government discussed the state of the global economy and the procurement of raw materials. The focus was also on the effects of the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The Federal Chancellor concluded by expressing his “great satisfaction with the entire process”. “We exchanged different views and came to common conclusions”, said Federal Chancellor Merz.
Read the Federal Chancellor’s press statements here (only german):
Press statement by the Federal Chancellor at the conclusion of the G7 summit in Canada.
Press statement by the Federal Chancellor at the start of the G7 summit in Canada.
Press statement by the Federal Chancellor ahead of the G7 summit in Canada.
The priorities of this year’s Canadian presidency included:
- migration,
- technology, such as artificial intelligence,
- the economy,
- critical raw materials and
- fighting forest fires.
An opportunity for important discussions in times of great challenges
“I see this summit as an opportunity for important discussions at a time of great challenges. The most important goal will be that the seven largest industrialised nations in the world are united, and that they are capable of taking action”, emphasised Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz before the summit began.
The heads of state and government of the G7 met in Kananaskis, Canada, from 15 to 17 June for political talks on current issues. The Federal Government was keen to play an active role in shaping the process and jointly developing solutions for the global challenges among the partners.
Kananaskis, 16 June 2025: The G7 summit is the highlight of every presidency of the Group of Seven (G7). Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has travelled to Canada for the summit. There he was welcomed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife.
"We will begin today with the general state of the global economy," said Federal Chancellor Merz at the start. We will address the extent to which the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine are impacting economic development.
Especially in difficult times, it is important to remain in close dialogue. The G7 – as an association of leading economies and democracies – is a central and proven format for this dialogue.
In addition to Canada and Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Japan and the USA are all part of the G7. The European Union is also a member. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is taking part in the talks on behalf of the EU.
In between sessions, there will be time for personal dialogue in small groups and bilateral discussions. Among others, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Chancellor Merz sees the summit as "an opportunity for important talks during very challenging times."
Ukraine, the Middle East, the global economy and artificial intelligence – these and other topics were on the agenda of the G7 heads of state and government in Canada.
Germany advocated joint action to tackle global challenges.
On the first day of the summit, the G7 agreed on a joint declaration on the war between Israel and Iran. It emphasises Israel's right to self-defence. The heads of state and government also stated that they had always made it unequivocally clear that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.
17 June 2025: Before returning to the summit venue, Chancellor Merz conducted interviews with German television stations in the morning. He expressed his understanding regarding US President Trump's early departure due to the situation in the Middle East: "We have spoken at length about all the subjects to be addressed at this summit."
On the second day of the meeting, discussions once again turned to, amongst other things, the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to the summit to take part in the discussions.
There was a consensus both in the Group of Seven and in the European Union: "We will continue to support Ukraine militarily," said Merz after the talks.
The "Global Economic Outlook" was the topic for discussion in one of the working sessions. The G7 countries published a total of seven joint declarations, including declarations on migration, AI and key raw materials.
As this year’s G7 chair, Canada organised the summit in Kananaskis. In addition to Canada and Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Japan and the USA are all part of the G7. The European Union is also a member. The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal forum of the seven leading industrialised nations and democracies. The G7 summit offers an opportunity for open exchange. It is the highlight of every G7 presidency.