Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
04/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/17/2024 08:38
A week of crisis diplomacy: Foreign Minister Baerbock travels to Capri for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
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- A week of crisis diplomacy: Foreign Minister Baerbock travels to Capri for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
A week of crisis diplomacy: Foreign Minister Baerbock travels to Capri for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
Logo of Italy's G7 presidency, © Sipa USA
With the Iranian attack on Israel at the weekend, the conflict in the Middle East threatens to spread. The G7 talks will focus on how to stop the escalation spiralling further and prevent a conflagration from taking hold. Find out here what else is on the agenda.
Two days of intensive deliberations, usually outside the major cities in a secluded location: the G7 Foreign Ministers Meetings are proper away days where the foreign ministers discuss current security and geopolitical issues. From 17 to 19 April 2024, the first Foreign Ministers Meeting under Italy's Presidency is taking place in Capri, near Naples.
Focus on the situation in the Middle East
The prevailing issue of recent days will also dominate a large part of the foreign ministers' talks in Capri. Foreign Minister Baerbock will report on her talks in Israel today and reiterate Germany's full solidarity with Israel in the face of the threat from Iran. At the same time, the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza and the fate of the hostages abducted by Hamas must not be forgotten. The foreign ministers will therefore also discuss how to get additional humanitarian assistance into Gaza and how to bring about the release of the hostages. The security of the shipping routes in the Red Sea against the backdrop of the ongoing Houthi attacks will be another topic of discussion.
Foreign Minister Baerbock issued the following statement prior to her departure on 16 April 2024:
At our meeting, we will discuss how we can prevent the highly dangerous situation in the Middle East from turning into a regional conflagration following Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel. As the G7, we are speaking with one voice. All players in the region are called upon to exercise maximum restraint. Escalating violence is not good for anyone - be it the security of Israel, the many dozens of hostages still in the hands of Hamas, the suffering population of Gaza, the many people in Iran who are themselves suffering under the regime or the third countries in the region.
Standing firmly alongside Ukraine
With relentless drone and missile attacks, Russia is continuing its onslaught on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure from the air and is attempting to deprive the people of what they need to survive. In the past few weeks alone, significant parts of Ukraine's energy infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed. Germany has announced its intention to supply an additional Patriot air defence system - what else the G7 and its international partners can do to strengthen Ukraine's air defence will be one of the issues in Capri. The G7 continues to be the main coordination mechanism in providing support for Ukraine, as was already the case during Germany's Presidency in 2022 and Japan's Presidency last year.
Foreign Minister Baerbock:
No matter what method of warfare Russia employs against Ukraine, we have been standing together against this for two years now - with unprecedented sanctions, a winter protective shield, a joint effort to ensure energy supplies and an increasingly close-knit network of bilateral security commitments for Ukraine. We and our partners around the world must now be just as resolute in our defence against Russian terror from the air. Stronger air defences are a matter of life and death for thousands of people in Ukraine and the best protection for our own security. This is something that requires our full commitment.
Other topics: Africa, Indo-Pacific, connectivity
The Italian G7 Presidency is focusing particularly on cooperation with the countries of Africa and the African Union. One priority is security in the Sahel region. Italy has therefore invited representatives of the African Union, and Mauritania as the AU Chair, to the meeting. In other working sessions, the G7 Foreign Ministers will also discuss other issues, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as global and fair infrastructure partnerships between the EU and partner countries in its neighbourhood, in Africa, in Latin America and the Caribbean, and in Asia. The informal nature of the meeting enables the Ministers to have a very close exchange based on mutual trust.
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The G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - the European Commission has observer status) provides a forum for informal - and thus very frank - exchange on current challenges. The economically strong democracies in the group are linked by shared values and in many cases can highlight a clear standpoint, not least for the public, for instance on acute foreign and security policy crises. However, the G7 is not an international organisation and has no established structures such as a secretariat. The Presidency organises and prepares the ministerial meetings and the annual summit in particular, though generally in working groups. The Presidency of the G7 rotates annually among the members. Germany held the Presidency in 2022; in 2023, it was Japan's turn, and Italy took over on 1 January 2024.
Additional content
Foreign Minister Baerbock prior to her departure for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued the following statement in Tel Aviv today (17 April) prior to her departure to Italy for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Capri: As a seasoned crisis team…
Foreign Minister Baerbock prior to her departure for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
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