G7 in Paris: oil, Ukraine, AI, the 3 issues on the table of Rubio and Barrot

Clock Fair, moment of truth. The G7 Foreign Ministers will meet at the Quai d’Orsay this Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November. Marco Rubio is traveling for two days, six days after the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections. The barrel of Brent opens the week at around 97 dollars and the blockade of Iran remains the issue which weighs the most on prices at the pump.

The meeting lasts two days and concludes Tuesday afternoon with a press conference by Jean-Noël Barrot.

The Quai d’Orsay places the Strait of Hormuz and energy among the priorities.

Talks between Moscow and kyiv open Tuesday in Abu Dhabi under American mediation.

Artificial intelligence is on the agenda at the request of France.

Hormuz and oil, the G7 issue that hits you hard

Let's start with what you see at the pump. The ministry wants to focus on “maritime security, the Strait of Hormuz and energy issues,” reports AFP. As early as November 5, its spokesperson mentioned the pressure of “the price of gasoline” in his press briefing.

The barrel of Brent at 97 dollars gives the measure of the problem. He backed down Monday morning in Asia after a statement from Donald Trump, who considered further strikes unlikely as long as negotiations progress. Except that his own Secretary of State said the opposite the day before: for Marco Rubio, discussions with Tehran are at a standstill. The markets had accepted his version on Sunday evening and Bitcoin had fallen to $73,761.

Allies doubt the usefulness of new US strikes, according to diplomats cited by Reuters.

Ukraine, the G7 meets and the negotiation takes place elsewhere

The schedule is cruel for Europeans. Talks between Moscow and kyiv open on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi under American mediation, as the G7 finishes its work in Paris. Jean-Noël Barrot assures that “the Europeans will be well represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi”. Reuters writes for its part that they have little chance of sitting at the table.

Four G7 diplomats see it as a test of what Donald Trump's defeat changes to American policy. Democrats take Congress in January. None of these diplomats expect a return to the multilateralism of the past.

Five countries are invited, including Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. Marco Rubio only stayed one day during the March meeting.

AI invites itself to the G7 at the request of Paris

Third file, more unexpected in a meeting of diplomats. Jean-Noël Barrot has placed artificial intelligence at the center of the agenda. The Quai d'Orsay recalls the UN Security Council meeting in September, where companies like OpenAI and Anthropic were invited.

The meeting was to be held in Marseille. The ministry cites “logistical reasons” for the transfer to Paris, which Reuters places in the context of six weeks of demonstrations.