G7 to focus on security, trade tensions, climate

Security, trade tensions, fighting inequalities and climate challenges will be key issues of the three-day G7 summit that will start on Saturday evening in Biarritz, in southern France, President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised speech.

"This meeting is useful, important (...) otherwise we would have to divide among ourselves," said Macron, adding that he wishes "useful agreements" would be reached during the summit.

Conflicts related to "Iran, Syria, Libya, Ukraine and several other international crisis" are top on the agenda of the talks, said the French president.

"Tensions, especially commercial ones, are bad for everyone. We must succeed in reaching a de-escalation, stabilise things and avoid this trade war which is already taking place everywhere," he added.

On the theme of "fighting against inequality", the host of the summit stressed that companies should not aim at only making profit for shareholders but at better sharing the added value.

On climate and biodiversity, Macron underlined the division between Europe and the United States. "You know our disagreements on this subject with certain countries, in particular with the United States."

"We must answer the emergency call of the ocean and of the forests burning in Amazon," he said.