Politics & Government

15 G7 Ministerial Meetings Held Across Japan

Pool photo via AP
The logo for the G7 is seen near the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting venue in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Monday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, April 20, 2023

A total of 15 Group of Seven ministerial meetings will be held in Japan through December, including meetings already held between the countries’ foreign ministers and on the climate, energy and the environment.

The G7 chair decides the number and theme of the meetings. As the current chair, Japan will play a key role in organizing discussions, and the themes will include issues arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, responses to rapidly evolving AI, and measures to address other global challenges.

Pool photo via AP
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, left, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from left, and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani observe students playing music at a welcoming event for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Sunday.

The government selected host cities for the meetings from local governments that volunteered.

At the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Miyazaki on Saturday and Sunday, discussions will center around the establishment of a sustainable food system in light of the global food shortage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as technological innovation in agriculture.

One of the themes of the Digital and Technology Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on Apr. 29 and Apr. 30 is “Promotion of responsible AI and global AI governance.” The ministers also plan to discuss measures to counter false information, which is increasingly a serious problem on the internet.

The May 13-14 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki will explore ways to “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic. Strengthening the prevention of public health emergencies will be on the agenda. At the Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Sendai May 12-14, ministers will discuss fair use of space and the Arctic, as well as ways to conduct research and development.

Outcomes of the meetings held by May will be reflected in discussions at the G7 summit beginning May 19.

In Tokyo on July 7, the G7 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will simultaneously hold meetings of their justice ministers for the first time. Japan will serve as a bridge between the G7 and ASEAN, communicating the importance of universal values such as the rule of law.