Date June 4–5, 2014 Follows 39th G8 summit | Cities Brussels Precedes 41st G7 summit | |
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Host country Belgium (European Union) Participants Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
United Kingdom
United States
European Union | ||
The 40th G8 summit was due to be held in Russia in 2014. The meeting was planned for June 4–5, 2014 at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. However, the other seven countries decided on March 24 that a summit would be held without Russia, in Brussels, Belgium. It was held in Brussels on June 4–5.
Contents
Following 2014 Crimean crisis and accompanying Russian intervention in Crimea, there was talk of suspending or expelling Russia from the G8. On March 24, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the meeting would not take place in Russia due to the Crimean crisis.
The G8 is an unofficial forum which brings together the heads of major world powers: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States, and Canada (all since 1976) the EU Commission (since 1981) and Russia (until March 2014). When the other seven countries decided to hold the 40th such meeting without Russia, the media dubbed it the 40th G7 summit.
Participants
The attendees included the leaders of the seven G7 member states, as well as representatives of the European Union. The President of the European Commission is a permanently welcome participant in all meetings and decision-making since 1981.
The 40th G7 summit was the first summit for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Cancelled Sochi summit
Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda. Presidential Executive Office Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov was the chairman of the organizational committee on preparation for Russia's G8 presidency. The leaders were expected to focus on responses to new global threats during the next G8 summit. The infrastructure of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi was planned to be used to host the G8 summit. No additional pre-summit costs were budgeted.
Following the Crimean events in March 2014, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission suspended their participation in preparatory meetings for the G8. In their statement the leaders of the G7 countries stated that Russia's occupation of the Crimea was against the principles of the G7 and contravened the United Nations Charter and its 1997 basing agreement with Ukraine.
Results
On June 4, 2014 on G7 meeting in Brussels leaders of the G7 nations in their joint statement condemned Moscow for its continuing violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and say they are prepared to impose further sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
The G7 summit on June 4–5, 2014 is the first since Russia was expelled from the group following its annexation of Crimea in March.