The world's major democracies are set to hold their 50th summit from Thursday, a milestone for the framework that began as an economic forum but has since evolved into a playmaker in global politics, and now comprises seven countries including Japan and the United States.
Sharing common values, major countries under the framework have discussed responses to political issues rocking the international community and affirmed their unity. The upcoming three-day summit will bring together leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plus the European Union to the southern Italian region of Puglia.
The inaugural summit was held in 1975 in the Parisian suburb of Rambouillet, at the proposal of then-French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, for coordination on monetary and trade policies following the 1973 oil crisis. It was attended by the six countries of Japan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the former West Germany, now Germany. The framework welcomed its seventh member, Canada, in 1976, making itself the G7.