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40th G7 summit
Host country	European Union (Belgium)
Date	4–5 June 2014
Cities	Brussels (originally Sochi)
Participants	Canada  France  Germany  Italy  Japan  United Kingdom  United States  European Union
Follows	39th G8 summit
Precedes	41st G7 summit
Website	www.european-council.europa.eu/g7brussels

The 40th G7 summit was held 4–5 June 2014 in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally scheduled to be held as the "40th G8 summit" and be hosted by Russia in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. However, Russia was excluded from the grouping due to its annexation of Crimea and the remaining members chose to hold the summit instead in Brussels.

Following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, there was talk of suspending or expelling Russia from the G8. On 24 March, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the meeting would not take place in Russia due to its annexation of Crimea.

The G8 is an unofficial forum which brings together the heads of major economies — Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada (all since 1976), the European Union (since 1981), and Russia (from 1997 until March 2014). When the seven founding countries decided to hold the 40th such meeting without Russia, it became the "40th G7 summit".

Leaders at the summit

The attendees included the leaders of the seven G7 member states, as well as representatives of the European Union. The President of the European Commission is a permanently welcome participant in all meetings and decision-making since 1981.

The 40th G7 summit was the first summit for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Participants

Core G7 members Host state and leader are shown in bold text.
Member		Represented by	Title
	Canada	Stephen Harper	Prime Minister
	France	François Hollande	President
	Germany	Angela Merkel	Chancellor
	Italy	Matteo Renzi	Prime Minister
	Japan	Shinzō Abe	Prime Minister
	United Kingdom	David Cameron	Prime Minister
	United States	Barack Obama	President
	European Union	José Manuel Barroso	Commission President
		Herman Van Rompuy	Council President

Cancelled Sochi summit

Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda. Presidential Executive Office Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov was the chairman of the organizational committee on preparation for Russia's G8 presidency. The leaders were expected to focus on responses to new global threats during the next G8 summit. The infrastructure of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi was planned to be used to host the G8 summit. No additional pre-summit costs were budgeted.

Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in March 2014, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission held an extraordinary G7 summit in The Hague and suspended their participation in preparatory meetings for the G8. In a statement, the leaders of the G7 countries stated that the annexation of Crimea was against the principles of the G7 and contravened the United Nations Charter and its 1997 basing agreement with Ukraine.

Gallery of participating leaders

Core G7 participants

• Canada
  Stephen Harper,
  Prime Minister
• France
  François Hollande,
  President
• Germany
  Angela Merkel,
  Chancellor
• Italy
  Matteo Renzi,
  Prime Minister
• Japan
  Shinzō Abe,
  Prime Minister
• United Kingdom
  David Cameron,
  Prime Minister
• United States
  Barack Obama,
  President

• European Union
  Herman Van Rompuy,
  Council President (Host)
• European Union
  José Manuel Barroso,
  Commission President (Host)

See also

• List of G7 summits
• List of G20 summits

References

1. ^ "Leaders plan Brussels G7 in June instead of G8 in Sochi - source". reuters.com. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
2. ^ Leaders plan Brussels G7 in June instead of G8 in Sochi Irish Independent, 2014-03-24.
3. "G-7 spares Russia new sanctions". Bloomberg.com. 5 June 2014.
4. "G7 leaders warn Russia of fresh sanctions over Ukraine". BBC News. 5 June 2014.
5. "Lawmakers call for suspension of Russia from G8, swift action against Putin". Archived from the original on 3 March 2014.
6. "Russia G8 status at risk over 'incredible act of aggression' in Crimea, says Kerry".
7. Channel 4 News (24 March 2014). "There will be no G8 summit in Russia this year - David Cameron. #c4news" (Tweet) – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
8. "G8 summit 'won't be held in Russia'", BBC News, 24 March 2014; retrieved 2014-3-24.
9. ^ "2014 G8 Summit to Be Held in Sochi--Putin," RIA Novosti, 4 February 2013'; retrieved 2013-6-19.
10. ^ Reuters: "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?", July 3, 2008.
11. Russia further isolated as G-8 leaders cancel Sochi summit Archived 2014-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
12. "G7 Meeting: The Hague Declaration". Archived from the original on 15 September 2020.

External links

• Official website
• University of Toronto: G8 Information Centre

43°36′00″N 39°43′01″E / 43.6000°N 39.7170°E / 43.6000; 39.7170

• 2014 conferences
• 2014 in Brussels
• 2014 in international relations
• 21st-century diplomatic conferences
• Diplomatic conferences in Belgium
• Events affected by annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
• G7 summits
• June 2014 events in Europe
• Premiership of Stephen Harper
• Premiership of David Cameron
• Presidency of Barack Obama