The G7 joint communique under negotiation is expected to include tougher language on China and support for Taiwan, a draft of the statement showed yesterday.
Diplomats from the G7 nations were set to negotiate late into the night over a joint statement to show a united front in Canada, after weeks of tension between US allies and President Donald Trump over his upending of Western trade and security policy.
The G7 ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, along with the EU, convened in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie for meetings yesterday and today that in the past have been broadly consensual.
Photo: AFP
A draft communique seen by Reuters includes tougher language on China, as requested by Washington, and language on Taiwan that would likely be encouraging to Taipei.
The draft, substantially shorter than a statement in November last year that took aim at Russia, also welcomed US efforts in Jeddah and Ukraine's commitment to an immediate ceasefire, urging Russia to follow "unconditionally."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed his colleagues on talks on Tuesday with Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv said it was ready to support a 30-day ceasefire deal.
However, officials said ambiguous comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin left delegates unclear where things stood.
In the run-up to the first G7 meeting of Canada's presidency, the crafting of an agreed all-encompassing final statement had been tough, but diplomats said the atmosphere since had been positive and candid.
There was hope for an accord, something they said was vital to show unity.
"If we can't reach agreement on the communique, then it shows the division. It's not in the interest of any of the members of the G7," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting.
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