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G7 foreign ministers met near Rome on Monday for two days of talks with regional counterparts on the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
The Group of Seven ministers will also discuss the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas’s military chief, “and the possible effects on the current crises in Lebanon and Gaza”, Italy’s foreign ministry said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the talks in Fiuggi and Anagni alongside ministers from fellow G7 nations Britain, Canada, Germany, France and Japan, hosted by Italy’s Antonio Tajani.
“Unity is our strength at the moment, I’m referring above all to relations with the Russian Federation,” Tajani said as he kicked off the meeting.
“Strength does not mean a fortress. In fact, I have invited other countries to the meetings which will take place this afternoon and tomorrow, in order to have a broader and more concrete discussion”, he said.
The first session on Monday afternoon was dedicated to the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea, notably efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
A later session was to include ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the secretary general of the Arab League.
The G7 talks come amid political uncertainty following Donald Trump’s US election win.
On the second day of talks on Tuesday, the discussion will turn to Ukraine in the presence of the war-torn country’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga.
Officials will discuss ways to continue supporting Kyiv, prospects for peace and initiatives for future reconstruction, Italian officials said.
The same day in Brussels, ambassadors from NATO countries and Ukraine will hold talks over Russia’s firing of an experimental hypersonic intermediate-range missile.
As the G7 meeting began, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Fiuggi announced the UK’s “biggest sanctions package” yet against Russia’s “shadow fleet”, used by Moscow to circumvent export and oil embargoes to fund its war against Ukraine.
Tensions in the Asia-Pacific are also on the agenda at the G7 meeting, and the Italians have invited foreign ministers from South Korea, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The G7 ministers are also expected to discuss the ongoing crises in Haiti and Sudan, as well as the political situation in Venezuela.
The ICC issued warrants against Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas’ Mohammed Deif on Thursday, in response to accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the militant Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack.
Israel and its allies denounced the decision, but it was welcomed by Turkey and rights groups.
Several countries have said they would comply with the ICC warrants and arrest Netanyahu should he enter their soil, while other nations were still considering their response to the decision.
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