President William Ruto has arrived in Evian, France, to attend the 52nd G7 Summit, where he is expected to represent Africa and push for the continent’s priorities on the global stage.
The Head of State is accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. Ruto departed Kenya on the night of Monday, June 15, after receiving an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in the high-level gathering of world leaders.
The summit, which began on Monday, will run until June 17 and will bring together leaders of the world’s leading economies alongside invited representatives from other regions.
Ruto in France for the G7 Summit. Photo: Courtesy.
According to the State House, President Ruto’s participation reflects Kenya’s growing influence in international affairs and its expanding role in shaping discussions affecting Africa and the Global South.
During the summit, Ruto is expected to present Africa’s common position on key issues, building on resolutions reached during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi last month.
The continental agenda focuses on economic transformation, reforms to the global financial system, climate action, and digital development.
The President is also expected to advocate for stronger partnerships between African countries and major global economies in areas such as trade, infrastructure, energy, innovation, and climate resilience.
In addition, he will push for a more inclusive international framework that supports shared prosperity and addresses the unique challenges facing developing nations.
Another key focus of his participation will be the governance and deployment of Artificial Intelligence.
Ruto is expected to champion equitable access to emerging technologies while calling for greater investment in digital infrastructure, data centres, innovation hubs, and skills development across Africa.
Among the leaders attending the summit are US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Ruto is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties.
The discussions are expected to focus on attracting investments in manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, healthcare, housing, agribusiness, digital services, and value-added exports, while exploring opportunities under Kenya’s National Infrastructure Fund to spur economic growth and job creation.
