Puglia is set to bask in international spotlight.

Italy will host the annual summit of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders at the luxury hotel resort of Borgo Egnazia in the country's southern Puglia region from 13-15 June.

The three-day summit, hosted by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, will bring together leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.

The main issues to be addressed during the summit include Africa, climate change and development; the conflict in the Middle East; Russia’s war against Ukraine; migration; Indo-Pacific/economic security; artificial intelligence and energy/Africa and the Mediterranean region.

The European Union also participates in all meetings and the summit will be attended by the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

In addition Italy has invited numerous guests from outside the G7 including Pope Francis who will be the first pontiff to participate in a summit of G7 leaders.

Francis, who will speak on Friday on the topic of artificial intelligence, is set to conduct numerous bilateral meetings while there, at the request of visiting leaders.

From 13 to 15 June, Borgo Egnazia in Puglia will host the G7 Summit of the Italian Presidency. Three days of sessions during which participants will address the main global issues. #G7Italy
See the full programme here: https://t.co/ba4dY1hjp0 pic.twitter.com/tdANFJfy6I

— G7 Italy (@G7) June 12, 2024

Italy has also invited the leaders of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan (King Abdallah II), Kenya, India, Mauritania, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the heads of international organisations, the IMF, OECD, United Nations and the World Bank.

The summit will include the involvement of Italy's president Sergio Mattarella who will host the G7 leaders at an official dinner in Brindisi on 13 June.

Meloni travelled to Borgo Egnazia on Tuesday, with her seven-year-old daughter Ginevra, to prepare for the summit and to relax after her right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party topped the polls in the European elections last weekend, in a result that consolidates her position both in Italy and in the EU.

Located in Savelletri, midway between Bari and Brindisi on the Adriatic coast, Borgo Egnazia has a Michelin-starred restaurant and the G7 guests will be served wine from the winery owned by veteran TV journalist Bruno Vespa.

The luxury hotel is popular with celebrities, including Madonna and the Beckhams, and in 2012 it was the wedding venue of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

It will be the seventh time that Italy hosts the G7 and the first time that the summit is held in Puglia.

Previous G7 summits were hosted in Venice (1980 and 1987), Naples (1994), Genoa (2001), L'Aquila (2009) and Taormina (2017).

The international media spotlight on Puglia is expected to result in a surge of tourism for the region which is famed for its beaches and stunning coastline.