Federal Chancellor Scholz at the end of the G7 Summit
The G7 countries are working together as close friends and allies – this was stressed by Federal Chancellor Scholz after the Summit in Elmau. “The meeting was an impressive demonstration of our unity and our determination,” he said. The G7 fully supports Ukraine, plans to fight world hunger and is leading the way in climate protection.
The G7 Summit in Elmau demonstrates the great power of democratic alliances. This was borne out by the final declaration and other statements issued by the G7 and its partners, said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the three-day conference. “The G7 Summit in Elmau was a crucial meeting at an exceptional time,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz.
There are three messages to come out of the Summit in Elmau
At the meeting under the German Presidency, the G7 Heads of State and Government focused closely on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – and its fundamental significance for the global community. “It is clear to all of us that there can and will be no going back to the time before this war. And it is clear to all of us that we are in for a period of uncertainty,” said Scholz. This made it all the more important to have close friends and allies in the world such as the G7 countries, he said.
According to Federal Chancellor Scholz, there are three messages to come out of this Summit:
- The G7 stands together in its support for Ukraine: “We all agree that President Putin must not win this war,” said the Federal Chancellor. Here he referred to the budget support for Ukraine of 29 billion US dollars. The G7 would continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance too, he said. In Elmau, the Heads of State and Government had already discussed longer-term reconstruction as well, said the Federal Chancellor: “We need a Marshall Plan for Ukraine”.
- The G7 is fighting world hunger together: “We have forged a global alliance for food security,” says Scholz. Germany is making a substantial contribution to the financial pledge of 4.5 billion US dollars. The climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and not least the war against Ukraine had once again exacerbated the threat of hunger, he said, adding that the G7 was working with the United Nations to make the stocks of grain and fertiliser stored in Ukraine available to the world.
- The G7 will not lose sight of its long-term tasks: The G7 countries intend to live up to their global responsibility – for example in the area of climate protection, stressed the Federal Chancellor. In Elmau, the Heads of State and Government agreed to establish a Climate Club at the end of the year. “We need to be more ambitious if we want to meet our climate targets,” said Scholz, adding that the open Climate Club would aim to promote collaboration, help maintain competitiveness and make climate protection a competitive advantage.
Shared values unite the G7
The fact that the G7 had made good use of the Summit in Elmau was also a signal of clarity and strength, stressed Federal Chancellor Scholz. “What unites us is our shared values: democracy, human rights, peace and freedom.” This was what the G7 nations had in common with each other and with the partner countries that were invited to the Summit, namely Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa. “Only by working together will we manage to achieve our goal: progress towards an equitable world.”