G7 condemns Russia, expresses support for Iranians, and seeks cooperation with China
Shafaq News/ The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the High Representative of the European Union underlined their "strong sense of unity" in their meeting held today in Münster of Germany.
They rallied support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russia's invasion and coalesced around suspicion of China's increasing assertiveness amid global crises.
"All Members of the United Nations must refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Violations of universally agreed and legally binding fundamental principles such as peaceful cooperation, sovereignty, self-determination, and territorial integrity are unacceptable. We are clear in our commitment to hold those responsible for egregious violations of such basic principles of international law to account." The G7 statement said.
"We again call on Russia to immediately stop its war of aggression against Ukraine and withdraw all of its forces and military equipment…Russia is trying to terrorize the civilian population. Indiscriminate attacks against civilian population and infrastructure constitute war crimes, and we reiterate our determination to ensure full accountability for these and crimes against humanity." The statement added.
"Any use of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences."
The G7 countries stressed that they would continue to impose economic costs on Russia and other countries, individuals, or entities providing military support for Moscow's war.
Concerning Iran, the G7 members expressed support for the "fundamental aspiration of the people of Iran for a future where human security and their universal human rights are respected and protected. We condemn the violent death of the young Iranian woman "Jina" Mahsa Amini after her arrest by Iran's so-called "morality police." We further condemn the brutal and disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters and children. We urge Iranian authorities to honor their international obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)."
The top countries also strongly "condemned Iran's continued destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East."
"The G7 will continue working together, and with other international partners, to address Iran's nuclear escalation and insufficient cooperation with the IAEA regarding its Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement."
The G7 said the gathered countries seek constructive cooperation with China, where "possible and in our interest, particularly on global challenges like peace and security, global health, the climate, and biodiversity crisis and the conservation of natural resources. These challenges can only be tackled successfully through cooperation within the rules-based international order."
"We will continue to raise our concerns with China on its reported human rights violations and abuses, including in Xinjiang and Tibet. We reiterate our concerns over the continued erosion of Hong Kong's rights, freedoms, and autonomy and call on China to act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations."
