Foreign ministers of seven industrialized nations meet in London

LONDON: WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021 – The foreign ministers of the world’s seven richest industrialized nations (G-7) met in London on Tuesday for the first time in more than two years. The host nation, Britain, has warned that recent moves by Russia, China and Iran raise serious questions about democratic society and international rule of law.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the meeting, saying “diplomacy is back to normal.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden had returned to the traditional United States alliance as soon as he took office. He says the Biden administration has come to the conclusion that former US President Donald Trump’s one-sided policy has left the United States alone.

Secretary Blinken also stressed the need for G7 countries to increase their competitiveness with China. The two-day meeting is attended by the foreign ministers of the G7 countries – the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The meeting will also discuss the military coup in Myanmar, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the Tigris crisis in Ethiopia and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

According to the British Foreign Office, the meeting will also focus on Russia’s increased military activity in Ukraine and the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The UK, which chairs the G-7 for 2021, also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, South Korea, India and South Africa to the meeting. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a meeting of G7 leaders next June.