Over two days the G7 Foreign Ministers, gathering in Fiuggi, near Rome, will discuss the situation in the Middle East, joint support for Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region. Other topics include Africa, Haiti and Venezuela. It is no accident that the meetings within the framework of the G7 are held some way away from the capital cities. Here, the Foreign Ministers have two days in which to discuss central security and geopolitical challenges in a peaceful and confidential setting.

Standing unwaveringly alongside Ukraine

More than 1000 days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the G7 continues to stand unwaveringly alongside the Ukrainian people. The Foreign Ministers will discuss with their Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha how the G7 crisis team can continue to support Ukraine specifically in the third winter of the war. The G7 has raised 50 billion dollar in financial assistance for Ukraine, which will be available at the start of next year. Within the context of the G7 we now need to cooperate all the more closely, because countries such as Iran, North Korea and China are providing increasing support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. That concerns the deployment of North Korean soldiers but also military equipment that is being made available to Russia.

Situation in the Middle East

The spiral of violence in the Middle East set in motion with the massacre by Hamas on 7 October 2023 must be stopped. Hamas must release the hostages they are still holding captive. We are working for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is disastrous. That is why we are doing everything in our power to ensure that more aid supplies reach the suffering population. The Foreign Ministers will also discuss what we can do within the context of the G7 to put an end to the suffering and find a way out of the conflict in the Middle East together with their counterparts from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, who have also been invited to Fiuggi on Monday.

More cooperation and connectivity in the Indo-Pacific

Within the context of the G7 we work to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region and the international law of the sea, for freedom of navigation is crucial to free trade. Moreover, Europe’s security is closely linked to security in the Indo-Pacific. That is why we are continuing to expand our cooperation and partnerships in order to reduce dependencies as well as to diversify and safeguard our supply chains. Discussions in Fiuggi with the Foreign Ministers of India, Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines will therefore focus not least on cooperation through trade agreements, cooperation in the area of raw materials and rare earths and in the context of the EU Global Gateway infrastructure initiative.