G7
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Italy (Overview of the “Indo-Pacific” session)
On November 26, commencing at 12:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. on the same day, Japan Time) for approximately 70 minutes, and also at 1:15 p.m. (9:15 p.m. on the same day, Japan Time) for approximately 95 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting Fiuggi, Italy to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, participated in the G7 sessions on the "Indo-Pacific and Regional Issues," and G7+Outreach sessions on the "Indo-Pacific," respectively. The overview is as follows (the G7-only session was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, while the G7+Outreach session was joined by the Foreign Ministers of India, Philippines, Republic of Korea, and Indonesia in addition to the participants of the G7-only session).
- During the sessions, it was pointed out that the security environment in the Indo-Pacific and Europe is more inseparable than ever before, and there was a candid exchange of views on various issues in the Indo-Pacific region, Haiti, Venezuela, Myanmar and other areas.
- On China, as the G7 seeks a constructive and stable relations with China, the participants recognized the importance of direct and candid engagement to express concerns and manage differences, and reaffirmed our readiness to cooperate with China to address global challenges. Regarding North Korea, Minister Iwaya stated that Japan is seriously concerned about North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities and is willing to work together with the G7 countries to encourage a robust response of the international community as a whole, including strengthening the implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, and concurred to further cooperation among the G7 countries. Moreover, the participants shared in this session as well their concerns about the deployment of North Korea’s troops to Russia and their engagement in combat.
- In addition, Minister Iwaya asked anew for understanding and cooperation from the other G7 countries for the immediate resolution of the abductions issue, and gained their support.
- Minister Iwaya stated that he is willing to cooperate with like-minded countries to uphold the “free and open international order based on the Rule of Law,” and the G7 countries concurred to continue to work together to address the issue.