G7 vows to raise $600b for aiding nations and end Ukraine conflict
China complains to summit organiser Japan over joint statement, says the G7, disregarding China’s concerns, has atacked it and interfered in its internal affairs, including Taiwan
HIROSHIMA: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) emphasised their determination to strengthen disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, towards the “ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all.”
This came as the leaders met in Hiroshima for their annual Summit on May 19-21, where they affirmed keenness to coordinate their approach to economic resilience and economic security that is “based on diversifying and deepening partnerships and de-risking, not de-coupling; drive the transition to clean energy economies of the future through cooperation within and beyond the G7.”
In a joint statement issued on Saturday the G7 leaders underscored their commitment to helping countries cope with debts that have mounted to perilous levels during the pandemic and war in Ukraine. They also reiterated their aim to pull together up to $600 billion in financing for projects to develop infrastructure such as railways, clean energy and telecommunications in developing nations.
They underscored the necessity of launching the “Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security with partner countries to address needs today and into the future; and deliver our goal of mobilising $600 billion in financing for quality infrastructure through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment.”
They stressed their determination to work together and with others to foster a strong and resilient global economic recovery, maintain financial stability, and promote jobs and sustainable growth.
They also stressed to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), recognising that reducing poverty and tackling the climate and nature crisis go hand in hand.
To promote the evolution of the Multilateral Development Banks; strengthen their partnerships with African countries and support greater African representation in multilateral fora; preserve the planet by accelerating the decarbonisation of their energy sector and the deployment of renewables, end plastic pollution and protect the oceans; deepen cooperation through Just Energy Transition Partnerships, the Climate Club and new Country Packages for Forest, Nature and Climate.
It also agreed to invest in global health through vaccine manufacturing capacity worldwide, the Pandemic Fund, the future international agreement for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
The G7 leaders stressed on the need to co-operate on international migration and strengthen common effort to fight the trafficking and smuggling of human beings; and advance international discussions on inclusive artificial intelligence governance and interoperability to achieve their common vision and goal of trustworthy AI, in line with their shared democratic values.
Russia’s top diplomat said on Saturday that announcements by G7 leaders at their summit this weekend to help end the conflict in Ukraine, showed a determination to “contain” both Russia and China.
“Look at the decisions discussed and taken today at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which aim to contain both Russia and China,” Sergei Lavrov said in a televised meeting.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with India’s Narendra Modi on Saturday and was due to meet other “Global South” leaders at a Group of Seven (G7) summit aimed at broadening support for his country in its war against Russia.
India will do “whatever we can” to resolve the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged Saturday as he met President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since Russia’s invasion.
“I understand your pain and the pain of Ukrainian citizens very well,” Modi said, as the pair met on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
“I can assure you that to resolve this India and, me personally, will do whatever we can do,” Modi said.
The three-day G7 meeting in the Japanese city of Hiroshima has already agreed new sanctions on Russia and measures to stand up to what it called China’s economic coercion, drawing the ire of Moscow and a complaint to the summit host Japan from Beijing.
Flown in from an Arab League summit on a French government jet, Zelensky, wearing his customary olive green fatigues, was warmly greeted by G7 leaders and held talks with Modi as part of a series of meetings with non-aligned countries in atendance.
Zelensky said on the Telegram message app that the two discussed Ukraine’s needs concerning mobile hospitals and the removal of land mines and that he had invited India to join Ukraine’s peace formula.
Modi’s Twiter account posted a photo of the two shaking hands, noting he had told Zelensky of India’s readiness to continue humanitarian help for the people of Ukraine and its backing for “dialogue and diplomacy” to seek peace.
China firmly opposes the G7 joint statement out of Hiroshima and has complained to summit organiser Japan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry said that the G7, disregarding China’s concerns, had atacked it and interfered in its internal affairs, including Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction and has lodged stern representations with summit host Japan,
Earlier, leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies warned China and North Korea against building up their nuclear arsenals, pivoting to major northeast Asian crises ahead of the arrival later on Saturday of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The focus on Asia at the Group of Seven summit comes as leaders tighten sanctions meant to punish Moscow and change the course of its 15-month invasion of Ukraine. Japan confirmed that Zelensky’s decision to visit Hiroshima stemmed from his “strong wish” to participate in talks that will influence his nation’s defence against Russia.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden and Zelensky would have direct engagement at the summit, a day ater Biden announced his support for training Ukrainian pilots on Us-made F-16 fighter jets, a precursor to eventually providing those aircrat to Ukraine’s Air Force.
World leaders have faced a high-stakes balancing act at the G7 in Hiroshima as they look to address a rat of global worries demanding urgent atention, including climate change, AI, poverty and economic instability, nuclear proliferation and, above all, the war in Ukraine.
China, the world’s No.2 economy, sits at the nexus of many of those concerns.
There is increasing anxiety in Asia that Beijing, which has been steadily building up its nuclear weapons programme, could try to seize Taiwan by force, sparking a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes near it.
The G7 leaders issued a statement warning that China’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency (or) meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability.”
“We do seek to co-operate with China on maters of mutual interest,” Sullivan said of the statement. “We will work to address our significant concerns that we have with China in a range of areas.”
North Korea, which has been testing missiles at a torrid pace in an atempt to perfect a nuclear programme meant to target the mainland United States, must completely abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions, the leaders’ statement said, “including any further nuclear tests or launches that use ballistic missile technology. North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon state under” international nuclear treaties.
The green light on F-16 training is the latest shit by the Biden administration as it moves to arm Ukraine with more advanced and lethal weaponry, following earlier decisions to send rocket launcher systems and Abrams tanks. The United States has insisted that it is sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself and has discouraged atacks by Ukraine into Russian territory.
“We’ve reached a moment where it is time to look down the road again to say what is Ukraine going to need as part of a future force, to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression as we go forward,” Sullivan said.
A EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelensky will take part in two separate sessions on Sunday. The first session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 as well as the other nations invited to take part in the summit, and will focus on “peace and stability.”
The G7 leaders have rolled out a new wave of global sanctions on Moscow as well as plans to enhance the effectiveness of existing financial penalties meant to constrain President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. Russia is now the most-sanctioned country in the world, but there are questions about the effectiveness.