The foreign ministers of the G7 countries, including US Marco Rubio, are meeting today, Monday, and tomorrow in the French capital, Paris, to discuss the possibility of avoiding a new escalation between the United States and Iran and to push for a settlement that ends the war in Ukraine.
According to "Agence France-Presse" (AFP), the meeting, which will be attended by Rubio alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadefoll, British Ed Miliband, Canadian Anita Anand, French Jean-Noël Barrot, Italian Antonio Tajani, and Japanese Toshimitsu Motegi, will be held at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Paris instead of Marseille, following a last-minute change due to agenda-related considerations.
The Middle East File
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Middle East will form a central file in the talks, as was the case during the G7 meetings last March, with a particular focus on maritime security, the Strait of Hormuz, and energy issues.
For France, Lebanon represents the most urgent diplomatic priority at present. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that this file will be raised for discussion during the summit, as Paris seeks to put in place a mechanism within a few weeks that ensures an international presence after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends on December 31 next.
American Isolation
Within the G7, the United States finds itself isolated since the start of the American-Israeli-Iranian war last February and Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large portion of global supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas pass, causing a sharp rise in energy prices.
This will be Rubio's first foreign trip since the Democrats' landslide victory in the US midterm elections, which gave them control of both chambers of Congress starting in January next.
Assessing Trends
The meeting of the G7 foreign ministers will offer, according to AFP, the first opportunity for Washington's allies to assess the direction of the Donald Trump administration and monitor any potential shifts in its foreign policy, especially regarding Ukraine, which is another key file on the agenda of the discussions.
The meeting coincides with talks between Moscow and Kyiv, mediated by the US, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, with the aim of finding a settlement that ends the war in Ukraine.
Europeans in the G7 will seek to assess the implications of the midterm elections on US support for Kyiv and policy towards Russia, as well as the ongoing debate on European strategic autonomy, while intending to reassert their presence in the upcoming negotiations.
Barrot confirmed on Sunday to "RTL/Public Sénat" channel that "Europeans will be well represented" and that "France will be present in Abu Dhabi to participate in these discussions," without providing further details.
With the aim of expanding the scope of the limited-membership G7, France invited the foreign ministers of Brazil, South Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine.
This meeting will form one of the last prominent milestones, under the French presidency of the G7 before it passes to the United States at the beginning of next year.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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