Tokyo: Agencies
Japan announced on Wednesday, following talks held in Tokyo by foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries, that the group is “united” in continuing its “strong support” for Ukraine “even in light of the current international situation,” in a clear reference to the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “As a result of the discussions, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries agreed that (the G7 will remain united in its position of imposing tough sanctions on Russia and providing strong support to Ukraine even in light of the current international situation.”)
According to the Al Arabiya website, the statement added that the ministers also confirmed that they would continue to impose “strict sanctions” on Moscow, accelerate Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts in the “medium and long term,” and continue “working toward a peace process.”
The statement quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa as saying that despite the war that has been raging for a month in the Gaza Strip, the G7 is keen to inform the international community that its commitment to support Ukraine “will never run out.”
According to identical diplomatic sources, the foreign ministers of the seven countries (the United States, Japan, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Canada) are seeking to bridge the gap that has separated their countries’ positions regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian factions by launching a joint appeal to establish a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.
A diplomatic source said on Wednesday that “constructive discussions” took place between the ministers on this issue on Tuesday, the first day of their meeting. He added that there appears to be "great unity" among the ministers' positions regarding the need to "urgently" increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
In this context, Japan announced on Wednesday, following talks held in Tokyo by foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries, that the group “strongly condemns” North Korean arms shipments to Russia and the missile tests recently conducted by Pyongyang.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “The foreign ministers of the G7 countries strongly condemn North Korea’s repeated launches of ballistic missiles as well as arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, which directly violate the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”