Charlevoix [Canada], March 14: Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Thursday called on the world's leading industrialized democracies to aim for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine.
Despite serious differences with Washington over the course of the war in Ukraine, the host said at the start of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) leading nations in eastern Canada that such major challenges must be overcome together.
G7 foreign ministers must "meet the moment," she said in Charlevoix.
The meeting - the first of its kind since US President Donald Trump took office in January - will focus on current crises and conflicts.
Alongside the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the trade war started by Trump with punitive tariffs is likely to be a key topic of discussion.
In the 50th year of the G7's existence, Joly cited the group's main achievements in the past as including the containment of the Coronavirus pandemic, resolute support for Ukraine and the fight against foreign interference in the affairs of sovereign states.
The stance taken by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Charlevoix meeting will be particularly carefully watched for signs that he may put further diplomatic distance between himself and the other Western allies.
In addition to Canada and the US, Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Japan are also G7 members.
Source: Qatar Tribune
