G7: The meetings of the Foreign Ministers have started in Tokyo – What issues will be discussed

However, the Group of 7 will encounter great difficulties in calling with one voice for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Security Council it has not succeeded to date and Israel is opposed to the prospect as long as the hostages held by the Hamas organization are not released.

The United States has discussed with Israel the possibility of “regular pauses” to allow civilians to escape conflict zones, but the length of those pauses “breaks” remains subject to negotiation.

“A call for a humanitarian truce or a declaration of principles is possible among G7 member countries that share common values. But it is certain that it will be non-binding and with general wording,” says Valerie Nique, of the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique.

The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Japan today, after an intensive diplomatic tour in the Middle East. He made no comment upon his arrival.

“We will discuss how we could secure a series of humanitarian pauses in order to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza,” the German foreign minister said. Analena Burbok in yesterday’s announcement.

The French Foreign Ministry also recalled the need “to make every possible effort to prevent a regional conflict and to assess the importance of defining a political horizon from the perspective of the two states.”

Continued support to Ukraine

“Ukraine is and will remain at the top of the G7 agenda”assured Analena Burbok, at a time when Kiev is worried about the appearance of a relaxation in Western support and the consequent fixation on a war of positions and attrition.

“If our support for Ukraine waned today, Russia would ruthlessly exploit that fact, with dire consequences for Ukrainians and Europeans. Other players in other parts of the world would also draw negative conclusions,” the German foreign minister warned.

“This is why it is so important that the G7 continues its support for Ukraine in a decisive and comprehensive manner. For example, we will continue to work together for one anti-aircraft shield for Ukraine“, he added.

Video conference call with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba it is also foreseen by the program of the G7 ministerial meeting.

The situation in the Caucasus, focusing on the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan it will also be in the Tokyo chat menu.

A teleconference is also planned with the foreign ministers of the Central Asian countries, in an attempt by the G7 to offset the influence of Russia and China in this region.

According to Geopolitics analysts, it is likely that the G7 will adopt a more moderate tone towards Beijing this time, ahead of the meeting that will take place this month in San Francisco between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the COP28 on Climate.

G7 members will try to strike a balance at the Tokyo meeting between opening up to China and remaining alert to the threat it represents to stability in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Robert Ward of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.

“There are many reasons to try to promote dialogue between China at this time, whether it is concerns about Taiwan, North Korea’s continued development of weapons of mass destruction, or the rapid modernization of the armed forces by China itself,” according to Robert Ward.

“The climate has always served as a ‘pretext’ for renewing or promoting positive elements of the dialogue with China,” according to Valerie Nique, of the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique.