Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
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OTTAWA — Canada is bringing the world to Alberta for the G7 leaders summit in Kananaskis.
As summit host, Prime Minister Mark Carney can invite any leaders he chooses — even those from countries outside the G7 club — as he attempts to shape Canada’s foreign policy and global geopolitics.
When asked on June 7 to explain how Canada decided on the list of non-G7 leaders to invite, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the government was seeking a discussion of “very serious issues that affect the global economy and the geostrategic environment.”
Here’s a closer look at the names on Carney’s guest list.
Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a willing partner for Canada as it tries to shore up its trade and defence links across the Indo-Pacific.
Both countries have shared values and small populations, and depend on a global rules-based system of trade to export large amounts of resources.
In March, Carney announced a deal was in the works to have Ottawa partner with Australia on an early-warning radar detection system to use in the Arctic and across the U.S. border.
Brazil
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has tried to partner with countries across the Global South while advancing democracy and environmental protection.
He’ll be taking those themes to the COP30 summit in the Amazon this November. His office claimed this week that Carney will be attending that summit — Ottawa has yet to confirm.
Brazil’s president, widely known as Lula, has echoed Canadian concerns about online misinformation since a foiled coup plot in 2022.
India
Carney’s most controversial invitation has been to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving in Canada less than a year after the RCMP accused agents of his government of playing a role in “widespread violence” in Canada.
Sikh separatist groups note that this month marks two years since the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Canada has linked to New Delhi. India insists these claims have no substance. Sikh groups have promised to stage large protests during the G7 summit.
But regional experts argue Canada should advance trade relations with the world’s most populous country and commit to structured talks on security instead of derailing the entire relationship.
Canada has promised to raise transnational repression at the summit, and the Asia Pacific Foundation has argued Ottawa and New Delhi should commit to law-enforcement talks on both that issue and India’s concerns about violent extremism.
Indonesia
President Prabowo Subianto will attend the summit after years of Ottawa pursuing deeper ties with Indonesia — a demographic and economic giant in the Indo-Pacific.
Canada and Indonesia signed a free-trade agreement last year and Ottawa aspires to sell small-scale nuclear technology to the island nation as it helps to develop small reactors for northern Canadian communities.
Mexico
President Claudia Sheinbaum deliberated for more than three weeks before accepting Carney’s invitation to attend the G7.
Sen. Peter Boehm, who has played a key role in numerous G7 summits, noted that Sheinbaum does not travel abroad often and might have chosen to come based on the likelihood of a meeting with Trump and Carney or to make progress on the tariffs issue.
“There’s the possibility of having a short trilateral on the side,” he said.
The ideal outcome would be a clear timeline for the coming review of the North American trade deal known as CUSMA, Boehm said, along with some immediate progress.
For example, “if we can make a deal that will allow everyone to step back and say, ‘well, we got something out of that and, tariffs are coming down.'”
South Korea
President Lee Jae Myung is eager to present South Korea as a stable, democratic country following a turbulent period that started with the former president declaring martial law last December.
The country has since maintained the rule of law and elected a leader who promised to reverse policies that sought to end gender-equality programming.
South Korea has long aspired to join the G7 and argues that its economic and regional clout is similar to that of G7 member Japan. Ottawa and Seoul have pledged deeper co-operation on maritime security, critical minerals and the environment.
In November, South Korea will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, and Canada’s prime minister has attended every APEC summit over the past two decades.
South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the separate G20 summit in November — a much larger and more diverse group than the G7 that also tends to see less consensus.
Boehm said the G20 host can act as a bridge to the G7 by making the topics and outcomes at the smaller summit more relevant to the needs of developing countries.
Ramaphosa has attended previous G7 meetings and was in the room when Canada sought action on oceans protection at its 2008 summit.
Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might get another chance to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alberta, as Washington continues to push for an end to the war that started with Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea and escalated to a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ottawa and its peers fear the U.S. is too obliging to Moscow and that a bad deal will only create more instability in Europe.
Ukraine has credited Canada with trying to advance Kyiv’s cause at the G7. Canada has been leading efforts aimed at forfeiting Russian assets held in Western countries to help finance Ukraine’s defence, with limited success.
United Arab Emirates
The Canadian Press has learned that Carney invited the United Arab Emirates to attend the G7 summit, which could mean UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan comes to Alberta.
But as of Thursday evening, Abu Dhabi had not said whether it had accepted Canada’s invitation. A readout Thursday from Carney’s office said the two leaders spoke and discussed “opportunities to deepen bilateral collaboration in these sectors,” and committed to remaining in contact.
Canada has described the wealthy Gulf country as “a critical partner” in humanitarian efforts such as foreign aid projects and the resettlement of vulnerable Afghans.
Sudanese groups have ccriticized Canada for not publicly calling out the UAE for its role in arming the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary the U.S. has accused of carrying out a genocide in Sudan. The UAE has strenuously denied involvement in the conflict.
Not coming: Saudi Arabia
Carney also invited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the G7 summit, but Canadian officials said Thursday morning the country will not be attending.
“The attempt will be for the prime minister to meet with as many of the leaders as possible,” said an official briefing media on background, who said there was no complete list of invitees as of Thursday morning.
Ottawa and Riyadh restored full diplomatic ties in May 2023, five years after the Liberal government’s public comments on women’s rights led Saudi Arabia to expel Canada’s ambassador.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency says the Crown prince ordered the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Saudi Arabia is among Canada’s largest export destinations for military equipment.
International organizations
Canada could welcome NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and World Bank President Ajay Banga to the summit, Boehm said, and possibly even the secretary general of the United Nations or leaders of the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
A federal official said Thursday that Canada’s G7 presidency has involved work with other groups, including the African Union and the Gulf Co-operation Council. It’s not known if leaders of those groups will be present.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
