The US and French presidents, who have had a tense relationship over the past two years, ended their press conference held on the sidelines of the G7 summit with hugs.
The US president, in contrast to earlier years, did not leave the meeting until it was ended nor opposed the final statement, which many experts had been afraid of.
The G7, which held its recent meeting in Biarritz, southwestern France, is an informal group of superpowers established in 1975.
At first, the G7 summit was intended to tackle only economic files, before dealing with issues such as peace, the environment and terrorism.
This group has become well-known in recent years after President Trump assumed power in White House.
During the 2018 G7 summit hosted by Canada, the U.S. president refused to sign the final statement despite his approval.
Trump on Monday once again denounced the 2015 Paris climate deal as "unfair, ineffective, and very, very expensive".
The 1st G7 summit took place, in Rambouillet, France in 1975 to discuss the first global oil crisis.
The meeting was attended by six countries, including, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to Canada, which was joined the meetings in 1976.
In 1983, the Williamsburg G7 summit in the USA made a declaration, for the first time, on Security in Europe; supporting the US President Ronald Reagan's policy toward Moscow.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world order and the G7’s policy have been changed to include Russia as an eighth member in 1992.
during the 1998 G8 summit in Birmingham, Russia participated fully as a Group member.
Russia's membership of the G-8 was suspended in 2014 after Russia annexed the peninsula of Crimea from its neighbor Ukraine.
The 2014 G8 summit, which was scheduled to be held in Russia, was canceled and declined once again to 7 countries.
"It is important that Russia rejoin the G7 again," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
I think that this change in France’s view is due to the fear of the repercussions of the sterile tensions with Russia, as conflicts will remain throughout Europe, which, as a result, will remain a scene of a strategic and cold war between the United States and Russia.
There was a remarkable rapprochement among the seven leaders at the closing session of Biarritz summit.
With regard to Iranian’s file, Trump announced on Monday that he was ready to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani within weeks if conditions are appropriate.
Trump said, few hours before returning back home, that French President Macron tried to defuse tensions between Tehran and Washington by hosting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks,
"If conditions are appropriate, I will certainly agree to that.", Trump commented.
As for trade relations with China, US President Trump said Beijing had "no choice" but to bow to US pressure in the trade war at a time that Washington is seeking to force Beijing to make deep reforms in its economy.
Regarding the taxes on big tech companies, the U.S. and France have struck a deal to settle their differences over a French digital tax on big tech companies.
Under the deal, France will eliminate its 3% tax once a new international agreement on digital taxation is reached, Macron said. The companies that pay France’s tax will be reimbursed once the international agreement is in place, he added.
France passed a 3% tax in July that targets around 30 big tech companies including Facebook, Amazon and Google. It applies to firms with annual revenues of more than 750 million euros ($830 million) arising from “digital activities,” including 25 million euros ($27 million) made in France.
Finally with regard to the Amazon fires, the G7 pledged to allocate 20 million dollars as an urgent measure to combat the massive fires that gobble up the Amazon rainforests, as well as developing a plan aimed at re-planting trees in these affected areas.
The “Initiative for the Amazon” requires previous consent of Brazil and the other eight neighboring Amazonian countries in cooperation with local people and NGOs.
By Dr. AbdelHak Azzouzi
Translated by Hassanain Tayea
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