G7 leaders to begin 2 days of talks amid trade, Middle East tensions
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 20:03 | All, World
The leaders of the Group of Seven democracies will begin two days of talks in Canada on Monday with the aim of restoring stability in the Middle East and Asia, while trying to hide divisions stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateralism.
Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy and his confrontational trade actions, also targeted at G7 countries, have tested the 50-year-old group's ability to coordinate global economic policy and address threats to international peace and security.
On the first day of their discussions in Kananaskis, a Canadian mountain resort near Calgary, the G7 leaders are scheduled to focus on the world economy, economic security including strengthening supply chains for critical minerals, and regional affairs.
With the gathering coming just days after Israel's unprecedented strikes on Iran, which have killed top military commanders and damaged nuclear sites, the conflict between the Middle East foes is likely to top a packed agenda.
As Israel, backed by the Trump administration, and Iran continue to exchange missile attacks, all eyes are on whether the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, as well as the European Union, will collectively urge Jerusalem and Tehran to de-escalate the conflict.
During a session on regional affairs, the situation in the Indo-Pacific region will be a central topic, with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the sole Asian leader in the informal forum, set to be a lead speaker, according to G7 officials.
Stability in the region, where China has been stepping up military activity as it pushes its territorial claims, is likely to be one of the few issues on which Trump can easily align with the rest of the leaders.
They are expected to reiterate the G7's past strong opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China seas by "force and coercion."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will chair the talks through Tuesday, is not expected to issue a detailed joint statement at the end of the summit, marking a departure from the group's usual practice, the officials have said.
Reflecting on the difficulty of reaching a consensus on major global issues following the return of Trump and his "America First" agenda, the G7 leaders plan to release brief "action-oriented" statements instead.
Since beginning his second, nonconsecutive term in January, Trump has upended the global economic order by imposing hefty tariffs on imports from almost all countries.
Nearly a month ago, the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, who gathered in nearby Banff to prepare for the leaders' meeting, refrained from mentioning Trump's tariff war in their joint statement and opted to showcase their unity in tackling common challenges such as global imbalances.
The G7 summit will be the first major multilateral event attended by Trump during his second term. Carney, Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also be attending for the first time.
Carney has invited some leaders from outside the group, including Australia, India, South Korea and Ukraine, who will join their G7 counterparts on the second day of discussions.
On Tuesday, there will be a session dedicated to Ukraine, with its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected to call for a united front to halt Russia's war against his country.
Related coverage:
Japan, U.S. leaders' talks could take place Monday in Canada: source
Japan PM Ishiba in Canada to attend G7, meet Trump over tariffs
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