Virtual Meeting Gets Underway At 0900ET/1400GMT/1500CET

The virtual meeting of G7 leaders - the first since April 2020 - gets underway in just under two hours at 0900ET/1400GMT/1500CET.

• With the UK serving as chair of the G7 the year, the meeting will be hosted by PM Boris Johnson.
• There is likely to be a short clip available from the beginning of the meeting with initial greetings, but the rest of the ~2hr meeting will be conducted in private.
• Attendees: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden. European Commission and Council presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel respectively will also attend.
• Major issues set to be discussed:
• Vaccine rollout and distribution-UK and EU seeking to lead the way on increasing supply to EMs, but US reluctant to send doses overseas while its citizens are still waiting.
• Global democracy-Johnson is keen to develop the idea of a 'D10' group of democracies to act as economic and political counterweight to China. Has support of some in US but EU and notably France and Germany wary. Myanmar coup also set to be discussed.
• MENA stability and Iran nuclear deal: Likely to be discussed following E3+1 meeting yesterday but US officials have hinted not to expect much on this front at this meeting.
• Climate change, taxation of multinational tech firms also likely to be discussed.
• A joint statement will be released afterwards, but no set time on this.