G7 Summit: French city of Biarritz geared up for meeting of world leaders

World
Europe

G7 leaders are gathering this weekend for a summit in the French seaside resort city of Biarritz. Our correspondent Stefan de Vries gives us a preview of the preparations there.

STEFAN DE VRIES BIARRITZ "Biarritz, a beautiful bustling beach resort in the southwest of France, is world-renowned for the sea, the sun and the surfing. This weekend, it will be the stage for the 45th annual G7 meeting of world leaders. And it's probably the biggest event the town has ever seen."

MICHEL VEUNAC BIARRITZ MAYOR "It is a great honor to receive the G7 and we are very proud that the president has chosen our city and our region. It will give our city an extraordinary media presence."

Among the guests at this weekend's G7 are the leaders of Italy, Germany, the U.S., Canada, the UK and Japan, in addition to host France. There will be a lot of meetings but also a little time to enjoy the seaside resort.

STEFAN DE VRIES BIARRITZ "Maybe Donald Trump and host Emmanuel Macron will decide to go for a stroll on this beach. They will not cross any normal holiday-goers, but they will be protected by 13-thousand police officers at sea, on land and in the skies."

The security measures are unprecedented. From every part of France, police and army personnel has been sent to Biarritz to make sure the summit will not be tainted by violent protests or other incidents. But the safety comes at a price: Biarritz will become a fortress.

STEFAN DE VRIES BIARRITZ "August is the busiest month of the year, when thousands of tourists come to the beaches in Biarritz. But in a couple of hours, all these people will have to leave the town. Because Biarritz will go into lockdown. During four days, shops will be closed, cars will be removed and nobody can enter their street without a registration. Many locals are irritated by the G7 meeting."

FRANCOIS AMIGORENA BUSINESS OWNER "For the entrepreneurs in this region, it represents a huge loss of income. In the safety zones, all the tourists are chased away. The shops cannot open, so it's a huge loss for our region. A lot of residents have decided to leave the city. And I don't think a G7 summit will motivate tourists to come here, this summer or next."

The mayor of Biarritz has promised the city will compensate those that lose income. The G7 Summit will officially start with an informal dinner on Friday evening and finish on Monday afternoon with a joint declaration.

STEFAN DE VRIES BIARRITZ "This is Stefan de Vries, in Biarritz in the Southwest of France, for CGTN."