Under the Japanese presidency, the G7 will defend the rule of law

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The writer is Prime Minister of Japan.

When I visited Ukraine in March and met with President Zelenskyy, I expressed my commitment to maintaining the G7’s unwavering unity in imposing strict sanctions on Russia and our strong support for his country. At my invitation, you will participate in the discussions at the G7 summit in Hiroshima this weekend.

Japan has pledged $7.6 billion in assistance for Ukraine. Some people might wonder why a geographically distant country is so compromised. This is because Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not only a matter of European security, but also a challenge to the free and open international order based on the rule of law. The Ukraine of today can be the East Asia of tomorrow. We are determined to uphold the rule of law, firmly rejecting the rule of force.

The world is facing a complex set of crises today, including climate change, the pandemic, and geopolitical crises. At the G7 summit, my counterparts and I will discuss regional situations such as the Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific, including East Asia, particularly China and North Korea. We will also discuss the global economy, including food and energy security; economic resilience and economic security; nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation; digital technologies; and global issues such as climate change, health and development.

As the holder of the G7 presidency, Japan would like to take the lead in responding to these multiple crises. While each member’s interests may vary in addressing these challenges, the G7 is determined to respond in a united manner to any challenge to the existing rule of law-based international order on which we depend, wherever it occurs. This unwavering determination is the most important message of this G7 Summit in Hiroshima.

The Indo-Pacific region is expected to be the center of gravity of the international community in the future, with the promise of the most dynamic economic growth and innovation. That said, it also faces emerging challenges affecting the international community as a whole, including unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, non-commercial practices and economic coercion, as well as the question of how economic growth can be compatible with climate change. change.

In March this year, the United Kingdom announced the update of the integrated review of its security, defense, development and foreign policies, and its accession negotiations to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. came to a substantial conclusion. By demonstrating its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, the UK shows that it fully recognizes that peace and prosperity there are in its own interest. This ongoing engagement with this region is strategically and geopolitically astute. It is encouraging that the UK is looking decades into the future and investing from a long-term perspective.

This is not simply about protecting your economic interests, such as trade, or safeguarding semiconductor supply chains and critical resources. International cooperation on global issues, which support the national interests of the UK and Europe as a whole, requires efforts that transcend regional borders.

At the same time, addressing the challenges facing the world today requires the efforts of the entire international community, including the so-called Global South. As G7, we would like to strengthen our reach. That is why I recently visited Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique, and invited Australia, Brazil, Comoros, the Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, and Vietnam to the Hiroshima Summit for discussion.

Whether it is the situation in Ukraine or climate change, it is important to let the so-called Global South decide to deepen cooperation with the G7 by choice, not by imposition, if we are to win the cooperation of the entire international community. The key is for the international community, including the G7, to respond with strength and unity to situations like the one in Ukraine wherever they occur. In addition, it is also important that the G7 show solidarity with vulnerable countries and help shoulder their burden.

From this perspective, I presented a new plan for a free and open Indo-Pacific when I visited India in March. I announced support for the growth and economic resilience of the Indo-Pacific countries by establishing a free and fair economic order, strengthening connectivity, including through infrastructure development, and ensuring maritime peace and stability. . Through dialogue with other countries, we hope to steer the international community away from fragmentation and toward cooperation.

The G7 Summit to be held in Hiroshima has a special significance. For 77 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humanity has not used nuclear weapons. We must never neglect this historic achievement.

Nuclear weapons must never be used again, and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, including threats of Russian-made nuclear weapons, is never acceptable. There is no better place than Hiroshima to send the message of moving towards “a world without nuclear weapons”. I hope to deepen discussions with the G7 leaders to promote realistic and practical efforts in this regard.

It is critical that the G7 take the lead as the world faces a complex set of crises. Japan is determined to exercise leadership as long as it holds the G7 Presidency, and the cooperation of each G7 member is indispensable.