G7 foreign ministers strongly endorsed U.S. President Joe Biden’s comprehensive Middle East peace agreement and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The group also pledged massive financial support for Ukraine in a wide-ranging ministerial meeting that underscored the group’s united approach to global crises.
The meeting, held under Italy’s G7 presidency, brought together foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the High Representative of the European Union.
Middle East crisis
In a detailed ministerial statement, the G7 nations urged all parties to accept the ceasefire proposal and called on countries with influence to support ongoing mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
The ministers expressed alarm over escalating violence along the Israel-Lebanon border and its impact on civilian populations.
The group emphasised the need for Israel to comply with international humanitarian law while maintaining there could be “no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.”
Ukraine support
To boost Ukraine’s defence, the ministers approved approximately $50 billion in Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans, set to be disbursed by year’s end.
These loans will be serviced through immobilised Russian sovereign assets, targeting Ukraine’s urgent budgetary, military and reconstruction needs.
The ministers strongly condemned Russia’s recent use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile and expressed alarm over Moscow’s growing military cooperation with North Korea, including the procurement of ballistic missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
China concerns
The statement addressed mounting worries about China’s global role, particularly Beijing’s support for Russia’s defence industrial base.
While emphasising they were “not trying to harm China or thwart its economic development,” ministers stressed the need to “de-risk and diversify supply chains” where necessary.
The group expressed serious concerns about China’s activities in the East and South China Seas, opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
African initiatives
New development programmes for Africa featured prominently, including:
- An AI Hub for Sustainable Development in collaboration with UNDP
- The “Energy for Growth in Africa” initiative for clean energy investments
- The Apulia Food Systems Initiative to improve food security and nutrition
- Support for regional vaccine manufacturing through Gavi’s African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator
Maritime security
Ministers condemned ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, welcoming the intervention of the EU maritime operation ASPIDES in preventing potential environmental disasters.
They reaffirmed the right of countries to defend their vessels in line with UNSC resolution 2722.
Regional concerns
The ministers addressed several regional crises, including:
- The deteriorating situation in Sudan and calls for an immediate end to violence
- Support for Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council and security mission
- Concerns over Myanmar’s military regime and calls for dialogue
- The need for stability in Libya and withdrawal of foreign fighters
“As the international community is facing a growing number of challenges,” the ministers said in their statement, “we renew our determination to foster collective action in the pursuit of common solutions.”
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