High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell travels to London for the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting

From Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 May, Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, will be in London to participate in the physical G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting. Part of the meeting will also be attended virtually by Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen. During the meeting, the High Representative and the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States will hold in-depth discussions on a number of topical foreign policy and security issues – including those related to Afghanistan, the JCPOA, Libya, Russia and the Eastern neighbourhood, Sahel, Syria, the Western Balkans, as well as security in Asia and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The High Representative will introduce the exchange on the situation in the Horn of Africa, notably with regard to the crisis in Ethiopia and the security situation in Somalia. During the meeting, participants will discuss how to strengthen global cooperation and solidarity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure early and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments everywhere, and to start a sustainable global recovery. They will also address the issues of media freedom and the fight against disinformation. Other thematic topics for discussion, in which Commissioner Urpilainen will also take part, will include the commitment to an ambitious action to tackle climate change, enhanced support for girls’ education, gender equality and women empowerment, as well as collective action to address food insecurity in the world. This year, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the Chair and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been invited to join part of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting as guests. Whilst in London, the High Representative will hold several bilateral meetings, including with US Secretary of State Blinken, UK Foreign Secretary Raab, Canadian Foreign Minister Garneau, External Affairs Minister of India Jaishankar, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Pandor, as well as with the ASEAN Chair, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam Erywan. Audiovisual coverage of the High Representative’s programme in London will be provided by EbS.