NewsWorld leaders' quirky demands create a stir at G7 summit

World leaders' quirky demands create a stir at G7 summit

Whims at the G7 summit. Tigers, paintings, hamburgers.
Whims at the G7 summit. Tigers, paintings, hamburgers.
Images source: © Getty Images | Chris Furlong

7:11 PM EDT, June 15, 2024

During the G7 summit in Apulia, some of the invited countries had specific expectations and demands, keeping the organizers extremely busy. It was considered that the residence for the President of Turkey was not luxurious enough, and the delegation from India was looking for tigers, reports the newspaper "La Repubblica."

The G7 summit took place at the elegant Borgo Egnazia holiday resort in the province of Brindisi. Politicians and members of delegations from various countries occupied all the accommodations across the Apulia region, including the most expensive and lavish estates. The Italian newspaper reports that various incidents occurred during the summit.

The whims of world delegations

In one of the five-star residences where the delegation from an African country stayed, the Carabinieri guarding the area heard hammering noises in the middle of the night. Alarmed, a patrol was dispatched to investigate. They discovered that the president's associates hung paintings on the walls, which he never traveled without.

When representatives of the Office of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saw one of Monopoli's most beautiful seaside estates, chosen especially for him, they deemed it too simple. They informed the Italian organizers, "No, he won't like it." When the Carabinieri asked where they could now find 15 rooms for Erdogan, the response was, "That's not our problem."

The delegation from India also provided some "entertainment" by inquiring about a forest with tigers. They explained that they had seen photos from a lavish wedding reception in the region, which featured tigers as one of the attractions.

The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, expressed a desire to eat a hamburger, which surprised the local chefs, who wanted to offer him other exquisite local meat dishes.

At the last moment, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, canceled his attendance at the summit. At his request and expense, a renovation was carried out on the residence rented for him, including replacing the windows, renovating the patio, and changing the garden decor. Now everything will be ready for the next guests.

One of the local farmers told the newspaper that he encountered a lost delegation from Mauritania in a field. They had gone on a bicycle trip and could not return to the hotel.