G-7 Foreign Chiefs Reaffirm Cooperation on Ukraine, Middle East

New York, Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)–Group of Seven foreign ministers reaffirmed their cooperation in responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, at their two-day meeting in Canada’s Niagara region that ended Wednesday. “An immediate ceasefire is urgently needed” in the war in Ukraine, the ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union said in a joint statement released after the meeting. They “strongly condemned” Russia’s recent direct attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. They also rapped the provision to Russia of military assistance by North Korea and Iran and the supply of weapons and dual-use components by China. The G-7 countries are “exploring measures against countries and entities that are helping finance Russia’s war efforts,” the statement says. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and the European Union announced additional sanctions against Russia in October. Canada also said on Wednesday that it would impose fresh sanctions on Russian liquefied natural gas-related entities and others. On the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, the G-7 ministers reiterated in the statement their “strong support” for Trump’s peace plan, welcoming the ceasefire and the release of hostages. At the same time, they expressed concern about restrictions on the delivery of relief supplies that remain in place and called for “humanitarian assistance without interference at scale.” Over the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the statement clarifies the G-7 countries’ opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, particularly by force or coercion,” in an apparent warning to China, which is ramping up its military activities in the region. The statement also includes a passage calling for the early resolution of the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago. In a press conference on Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who chaired the G-7 meeting, described it as very productive. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters: “The security environment is getting increasingly severe. It is even more important for the G-7 countries to work closely together.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]