Hiroshima G-7 summit seeks to send out a strong message against Russia, says Japanese envoy
The Hindu
Another key priority was dealing with “real critical challenges” of food and energy security, climate change and sustainable development, which had become more acute as a result of the Ukraine war, he added.
Upholding the rule of law and ensuring that Russia “pays a price” for its continuing invasion of Ukraine will be among the highest priorities for Japan as it hosts the G-7 summit of the world’s most developed countries this weekend, said Japan’s Ambassador to India Hiroshi Suzuki said on May 18.
“Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants to send a strong message from Hiroshima that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force must not be allowed anywhere in the world. That is to say, if Russia is allowed to go [ahead], without paying any price, then other countries may be tempted to the same,” Mr. Suzuki told The Hindu in an interview.
When asked about U.S. President Joseph Biden’s last-minute decision to cancel his subsequent visits to Australia and Papua New Guinea, the Ambassador said that Australian officials were working “very hard” to convene a shortened version of the Quad meeting in Hiroshima, that was meant to be held in Sydney, but that arrangements were still being negotiated.
Also read: Australia cancels Quad meeting in Sydney after Biden postponement
He denied that the cancellation of the planned Quad summit signalled a greater stress on the challenge from Russia, that the G-7 is focused on, than on issues with China and the Indo-Pacific, that the Quad would have discussed. However, the Japanese Ambassador made it clear that stopping the Russian invasion, and supporting Ukraine were at the top of the agenda.
“We stand at a critical juncture to send a clear message that we should never allow the world to slide back to the dark ages of the law of the jungle,” Mr. Suzuki added, in a sharp statement on the eve of the summit, which will see leaders of the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Japan come together in Hiroshima to discuss major geopolitical developments.
The occasion will also be used to hold a number of “outreach” sessions with invitees from India, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Comoros and the Cook Islands. Russia was a member of the erstwhile “G-8” grouping until it was expelled after the Crimean war in 2014.
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.