Human rights, threats to democracy in focus on day 2 of G7 meet

G7

London, (Samajweekly) Foreign ministers from G7 countries will on Tuesday discuss human rights and threats to democracy on the second day of a special meeting in London, according to the UK Foreign Office.

The face-to-face meeting is taking place ahead of a G7 summit planned for June 11-13 in the English county of Cornwall, reports dpa news agency.

On Tuesday, representatives from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union are due to meet British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Following talks through the day, the Foreign Ministers will hold a dinner discussion with guest nations India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair Brunei.

The discussions in the morning will cover the coup in Myanmar.

The Ministers will watch a video from the National Unity Government which will update them on the situation on the ground.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said Raab will then urge the G7 nations to take stronger action against the military junta, including by expanding targeted sanctions against individuals and entities connected to the army, supporting arms embargoes and increasing humanitarian assistance.

Discussions will then move to Libya and the ongoing war in Syria.

Later in the afternoon, the politicians will discuss the situation in Ethiopia, as well as Somalia, the Sahel Region, and Western Balkans.

The Foreign Ministers will also speak about Russia’s ongoing malign activity including through the build-up of troops on the border with Ukraine, its imprisonment of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the situation in Belarus.

The G7 Ministers gathered Monday for a three-day meeting in London for the first time in two years to address such issues as economist recovery after the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

The conference was reportedly held with strict Covid-secure measures being insured by organisers.

The last G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting took place in France in April 2019.

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