UK to host first G7 summit in 2 years amid COVID, foreign ministers hold in-person talks

The Foreign and Development Ministers of the Group of Seven nations (G7) will be gathering in London, the UK on May 3 for their first in-person meeting in two years. The British host, foreign secretary Dominic Raab will kickstart the opening with talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later in the evening (local time). The present week is billed by the United Kingdom, which also holds the group’s rotating presidency, as a chance to reassert the influence of the West and acknowledge other nations such as COVID-19 recovery, climate change and China, Russia. 

G7 Foreign Ministers meet in person

It was announced in April that UK will host G7 Foreign and Development Ministers in London for a COVID-secure Meeting from May 3 to 5. In addition to the G7 members - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, Britain has also invited the foreign ministers from Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea. The meetings will commence only after Raab and Blinken’s dinner on May 3 when both will discuss the common goals.

On May 2, Raab had also said that G7 would aim at a proposal to build a swift response mechanism to counter Russian misinformation along with the interference to China. UK Foreign Secretary, prior to the summit, had said in a statement, “On all of these areas we want to be absolutely firm, and standing shoulder to shoulder not just with Americans, as important as they are, but also with our wider allies - that's why the G7 is so important.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement on May 2 had also confirmed that the “External Affairs Minister will be visiting London from 3-6 May 2021 to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting, at which India has been invited as a guest country. He will thereafter undertake a bilateral visit to the UK.”

What all can be discussed?

The Associated Press report stated that US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and a post-Brexit trade deal are likely to be on the table when Blinken and Raab meet. Further, even a possible prison swap deal with Iran of both the UK and the US is also likely to be discussed.

In the April announcement of the current Foreign Ministers meet, G7 released a statement saying, “The meeting is a crucial opportunity to revitalise in-person diplomacy and will look to establish a shared approach among the world’s leading democracies on equitable vaccine access, to agree global girls’ education targets, rigorous goals on climate finance and new measures to prevent famine and food insecurity.”

G7 leaders meet on the sidelines of the summit

Earlier on Monday (local time), May 3, Raab met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi where both officials discussed a range of topics including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change along with noting the concerns of North Korea’s nuclear programme development. On Tuesday (local time), the full G-7 will meet. 

As of now US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. With the Japanese delegation, Blinken discussed "COVID-19 and the climate crisis as well as our trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" 

Image credits: AP/Facebook