The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers met on Saturday 11 December in Liverpool, northern England, to show their unity “In the face of the aggressors who try to limit the field of freedom and democracy”, launched the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Liz Truss, whose country holds the presidency of the G7.
“For this, we must speak absolutely with one voice”, she added, calling for a reflection for “Reduce strategic dependence” and strengthen the“Security architecture” great powers which claim to be part of the democratic camp in the face of “Authoritarian regimes”. “We must win the battle of technologies”, “Making sure that our technological standards are set by those who believe in freedom and democracy”, she asserted.
China and Russia in the crosshairs
If she did not name these adversaries, her remarks are in line with the desire, in particular of the United States, to involve the G7 in the Western strategy to counter China’s ambitions on the world stage, including technological products. are used more and more in the West.
In the immediate future, it is above all another rival that is in the sights: Moscow, which Washington, the Europeans and Kiev have accused for a few weeks of preparations to possibly invade Ukraine, which the Kremlin denies. This burning issue was at the heart of the first bilateral talks. Mme Truss thus evoked the need for a “United front against Russian aggression” with Annalena Baerbock, the new German foreign minister. The latter and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are “Agreed that a firm response would be necessary if Moscow escalated”, added American diplomacy.
These words echo those of US President Joe Biden, who “Let know” Tuesday to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, whom Russia would be exposed to “Strong sanctions, among other economic ones”, in the event of an attack by Ukraine. The heads of diplomacy of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom were also to address other ongoing crises, especially in Burma, with the coup State military of 1er February and the recent prison sentence of former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. G7 ministers are also expected to call on Iran to end the nuclear escalation and resume restrictions on its atomic program.
Asean guest
This is the second face-to-face meeting of G7 foreign ministers this year, following a rally in May in London. Due to the health situation, with the recent spread of the omicron variant in the UK, strict measures are being applied at the Museum of Liverpool, which is hosting the event, with the obligation for delegates to present a PCR test result before to arrive and daily screenings.
Over the weekend, G7 ministers are due to participate in meetings expanded to include their counterparts from the European Union, South Korea and Australia.
Sunday, Mme Truss will host plenary sessions on global health security as well as the Indo-Pacific region. For the first time, foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will join the G7 meeting.
The US Secretary of State must then travel to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand for a tour aimed at emphasizing the importance of this area at the heart of the United States’ anti-China strategy.