G7 inclusion proof of Kenya’s rising influence on global stage – Amina

President Kenyatta, who was one of only two African leaders invited to the just concluded Belt and Road Forum in China, will again be joined by his Ethiopian counterpart PM Hailemariam Desalegn in Sicily, Italy/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19 – President Uhuru Kenyatta is among four African leaders who will be attending the G7 Summit in Italy next week.

President Kenyatta, who was one of only two African leaders invited to the just concluded Belt and Road Forum in China, will again be joined by his Ethiopian counterpart PM Hailemariam Desalegn in Sicily, Italy.

The other African countries invited to the Summit according to Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed are Nigeria and Tunisia.

The G7 countries are the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom with their leaders meeting in the G7 format since 2014 following the Russian Federation’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The G7 summit is a forum that seeks to shape global responses to global challenges, complementing the global economic coordination carried out by the G20 and on the agenda this year is climate change, immigration from Africa to Europe and free trade.

An agenda that could put the US at odds with Europe given US President Trump’s controversial views on climate change, his insistence on closing the US’ borders to Muslim immigrants and his protectionist agenda.

The decision to include Kenya in the talks is testament to Kenya’s growing influence on the global stage under the leadership of President Kenyatta.

READ: Uhuru gets seat at the table in what pundits say is rise of new world order

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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