EVIAN, France — President William Ruto has arrived in France to participate in the G7 Summit, where he is expected to advocate for Africa’s development priorities and strengthen engagement between the continent and the world’s leading economies.
The President arrived in Evian, accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi.
President Ruto is attending the summit at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron, reflecting Kenya’s growing diplomatic profile and its role in articulating Africa’s interests on the global stage.
The Head of State is expected to use the high-level gathering to push for stronger partnerships between African countries and major global economies, while highlighting issues affecting the continent’s development and economic transformation.
At the summit, Ruto will present Africa’s common position as adopted during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi last month.
The agenda focuses on accelerating economic growth, reforming the global financial architecture, advancing climate action, and expanding digital transformation across the continent.
Kenya has consistently called for reforms to international financial institutions, arguing that developing countries face disproportionately high borrowing costs despite contributing least to many global economic and climate challenges.
The President is also expected to advocate for increased investment in climate adaptation and resilience, while pressing for fairer access to development financing for African nations.
The summit brings together leaders from the Group of Seven nations—comprising some of the world’s largest economies—as well as invited leaders from other regions to discuss global economic, security, and development challenges.
The President’s participation comes as Kenya seeks to position itself as a key voice on continental issues, including sustainable development, green industrialisation, digital innovation, and reforms to global governance institutions.
The President is also expected to hold bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the summit aimed at strengthening economic cooperation, attracting investment, and deepening diplomatic relations between Kenya and international partners.
His attendance follows recent diplomatic engagements in Europe, including talks with Finland that resulted in new agreements on education, digital innovation, and climate cooperation, underscoring Kenya’s broader strategy of expanding international partnerships to support national and continental development goals.
