Syria has secured an invitation to attend the G7 summit in France next month as a guest nation and will be represented by President Ahmed Al Sharaa, marking Syria’s first participation in a summit of the group since the forum was founded in 1975.
– An invitation to Al Sharaa to attend the June 15-17 summit in Evian-les-Bains, southeastern France, was hand-delivered to Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh.
– The Syrian participation in the talks would likely focus on the country’s role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains” following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
– Shipping through the strait has been largely halted since the Iran war erupted at the end of February, rattling the global economy.
– Syria, emerging from its 14-year civil war, is seeking to rebuild an economy shattered by years of conflict and sanctions.
– While most sanctions imposed during former regime leaders Hafez and Bashar al Assad’s rule have since been eased, attracting foreign investment and restoring normal banking ties have proven slower and more difficult than many officials had hoped.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/dcfcd4b2634e