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G-7 Foreign Ministers Gather for Talks in London

VOA News

   U.S. Secretary of State AntonyBlinkenis in London for talks with his
   counterparts from G-7 nations, with the coronavirus pandemic, Russia
   and China among likely agenda items during threedays of formal meetings
   and side discussions.

   Iran and North Korea, two nations whose nuclear programs have been the
   focus of negotiations in recent years, are set to be discussed at a
   working welcome dinner Monday night.

   Blinken'ssideline meetings Mondayincludetalks withJapanese Foreign
   Minister ToshimitsuMotegi, South KoreanForeign Minister Chung
   Eui-yong,Bruneian Foreign Minister II DatoErywanYusof, IndianMinister
   of External Affairs SubrahmanyamJaishankaand British Foreign Secretary
   Dominic Raab.

   "It was eight years ago that theU.K.(United Kingdom), our indispensable
   Ally, last hosted the G-7Presidency," Blinken tweeted after arriving in
   Britain."It's good to be back among partners and allies for these
   discussions."
   Yael Lempert, Charge d'Affaires of the US embassy, left, and John
   Holloway, UK representative from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
   greet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, in northeast of
   London on May 2, 2021.

   Britain's Foreign Office said Raab and Blinken would be consulting on
   Afghanistan, Iran, China and tradein their meeting.

   The G-7 ministerial talks are laying the foundation for a summit of
   leaders from those countries in June, also in Britain.

   The U.S. State Department said this week's meetings would be a chance
   to discuss "advancing economic growth, human rights, food security,
   gender equality, and women's and girls' empowerment."

   In addition to Britain and the United States, the G-7 includes Canada,
   France, Germany,Italyand Japan.Australia, India, South Africa,
   SouthKoreaand Brunei are also taking part in this week's talks.

   After the G-7 meetings, Blinken is due to travel to Ukraine to meet
   withPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior government
   officials.

   State DepartmentspokesmanNed Price said in a [1]statement that Blinken
   will "reaffirmunwaveringU.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and
   territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression."

References

   1. https://www.state.gov/g7-foreign-and-development-ministers-meeting-and-the-secretarys-travel-to-ukraine/

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