Travel pool # 12 - Greeting/Dinner

Graciously shared from Sarah Dean who was able to be in the room.

(Pool notes in order from greeting/dinner)

Travel pool camera is set up at the location of the G7 leaders' official greeting. A blue carpet is set up in front of G7 signs overlooking Lake Geneva.

The carpet leads to where the leaders will sit for dinner -- at a large round table. It is outdoors with a lovely view of the lake but has a wooden roof overhead and drapes around it.

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Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron came onto the blue carpet at 7:27pm local.

Pres. Donald Trump walked out a minute later and shook hands with both of them. He then stood in the middle of Emmanuel and Brigitte in the higher platform for a photo.

He chatted with them for a few moments before walking over to the dinner table and out of sight of press.

Italy's PM Georgia Meloni was next to greet the Macrons, followed by German Chancellor Friedrick Merz and his wife. UK PM Keir Starmer and his wife were next at 7:31pm. Then Canadian PM Mark Carney and his wife, who could be heard conversing in French with the Macrons. Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi came out at 7:34pm local. European Council President António Costa then came out. Ursula von der Leyen and her husband were the last leaders to come out and greet the Macrons on the blue carpet.

All leaders exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos with the Macrons.

We are now set up to face the dinner.

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Officials blocked the view of the press to the dinner table with a curtain for a long time as the leaders were in a reception. Then press was promptly escorted inside the covered area to shoot the leaders seated at the dinner table. Trump was in between Macron and Starmer.

We were then promptly escorted out.

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Elina Shirazi

Senior Political Reporter

White House, State Department

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