President William Ruto is set to fly Kenya’s flag on the global stage after being selected to represent Africa at the upcoming G7 Summit in France.
The summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, will take place in Évian-les-Bains from June 15 to June 17, bringing together leaders of the world’s largest advanced economies and key international partners.
Speaking during a church service in Kiserian, Kajiado county, on Sunday, June 14, Ruto said he would attend the summit on behalf of all African nations.
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"Tomorrow, I will represent Africa, all 54 presidents and the 54 countries of our continent, at the G7 Summit. We will discuss how Africa can move forward economically, with Kenya taking the lead. We will explore how we can utilise our natural resources and population to drive growth across the continent and create mutual benefits between Africa and Europe," Ruto said.
The president said Kenya’s growing influence on the international stage reflects the progress the country has made in recent years.
“God has truly favoured us. We are making remarkable progress. In 2023, shortly after I took office, I chaired the first-ever Africa Climate Summit. During that meeting, we agreed on a way forward in addressing climate change and its effects,” he said.
Ruto also pointed to Kenya’s expanding diplomatic engagement with major global powers.
“Kenya also became the first African country in 20 years to receive a State Visit invitation from the United States. I travelled there to negotiate and advance Kenya’s interests with the US government,” he added.
The head of state further highlighted Kenya’s role in convening African leaders to discuss the continent’s future.
“Recently, we became the first Anglophone country to host the Africa Forward Summit. We brought together 35 heads of state to strategise on how Africa can move forward, reduce poverty and create wealth by using the resources available on our continent for the benefit of its people”.
President William Ruto
The European Union will be represented at the G7 Summit summit by António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.
Amid growing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the global economy, leaders are expected to deliberate on a range of issues, including geopolitical challenges, peace and security in Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and the future of artificial intelligence.
Ahead of the summit, Macron chaired a virtual conference on June 11 involving G7 countries and representatives from China, India, Brazil, South Korea and Kenya. The discussions focused on macroeconomic imbalances and global economic governance.
Besides the European Union, the G7 comprises leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States.
