LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th May, 2021) UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Tuesday will raise some global challenges that are claimed to threaten democracy, at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in London, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The G7 includes the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the EU. The Tuesday meeting is the first gathering of G7 foreign ministers since 2019, as well as the first major in-person diplomatic meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Raab is expected to lead talks on pressing geopolitical issues that threaten to undermine democracy, freedoms, and human rights.
"The UK's presidency of the G7 is an opportunity to bring together open, democratic societies and demonstrate unity at a time when it is much needed to tackle shared challenges and rising threats," Raab said.
The upcoming talks will be held between the ministers during dinner discussions with the representatives of the guest nations of India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, and this year's Chair of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Brunei Darussalam.
"The addition of our friends from Australia, India, the Republic of Korea, and South Africa, as well as the chair of ASEAN reflects the growing significance of the Indo Pacific region for the G7," Raab noted.
During the upcoming meeting, the diplomat is expected to outline his vision for cooperation between the G7 and the nations of the Indo-Pacific region to develop stronger trade ties, ensure stability and tackle climate change.
In particular, the officials will initially discuss humanitarian assistance to the population in coup-hit Myanmar, and ways to take stronger action against the military junta, which seized power on February 1, overthrowing the nation's democratically elected government.
The talks will then touch upon conflicts in such countries as Libya, Syria, and Ethiopia, as well as the security situation in several world regions, including Africa's Sahel, and Western Balkans.
Besides, the ministers will exchange on the recent Russian military buildup on Ukraine's borders, a matter to which Moscow has repeatedly responded that all troops movements are aimed at ensuring national security in response to NATO's buildup near Russian borders.
In addition, the discussions will also revolve around the imprisonment of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny for a financial misdemeanor.
The ministers will also talk about the situation in Belarus, the foreign office said.
