Syria to join G7 summit in historic return to global stage

DAMASCUS – Syria will attend the G7 summit in France next month as a guest nation and be represented by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, three sources familiar with the matter said, marking Syria’s first participation in a summit of the group since the forum was founded in 1975.

An invitation to Sharaa to attend the June 15-17 summit in Evian-les-Bains, southeastern France, was hand-delivered to Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh, who attended the group’s financial talks earlier this week in Paris, one of the sources said.

The source, a Syrian official, said Syria’s participation in the talks would likely focus on the country’s role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains”‌ following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping through the strait has been largely halted since the Iran war erupted at the end of February, rattling the global economy.

Syria, emerging from its 14-year civil war as an ally of the West, is seeking to rebuild an economy shattered by years of conflict and sanctions.

While most sanctions imposed during former Presidents Hafez and Bashar al-Assad’s rule have since been eased, attracting foreign investment and restoring normal banking ties have proven slower and more difficult than many officials had hoped. 

For Damascus, participation in the G7 marks another step in efforts to return to the international system, attract support for reconstruction and show that it has become a pivotal state in the changes reshaping the region.