PRESS RELEASE : G7 united in response to conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine as Foreign Secretary travels to Japan [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 November 2023.

The Foreign Secretary will be in Japan for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

• At the G7 James Cleverly will discuss situation in Middle East and preventing a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence
• Also on the agenda is collective support for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion and help secure a lasting peace
• Foreign and Defence Secretaries meeting Japanese counterparts to strengthen security partnerships following signing of Hiroshima Accord earlier this year

Arriving in Japan (Tuesday 7 November) for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly will be addressing developments in the Middle East, including to prevent a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence.

At the G7 conference in Tokyo, the Foreign Secretary will meet G7 Foreign Ministers, including the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yōko Kamikawa, to also discuss the UK’s long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The G7 Foreign Ministers meeting will build on the G7 Leaders’ Summit, that took place in Hiroshima in May, with a clear agreement on military, diplomatic and economic tools being part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

The Defence Secretary will also be holding bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart Minoru Kihara, and both UK ministers will later join their opposites for a combined meeting.

In the 2+2 meeting they will discuss closer security and defence ties alongside support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

The Foreign Secretary will also attend a reception on enhancing relations between the people of the UK and Japan, with their respective Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Schemes being expanded by up to 500% to enable more opportunities for young people to gain a better understanding of our cultures and societies, through travel, work and life experience overseas.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK and our allies are meeting to discuss the crisis in Israel and Gaza and avoiding further regional escalations.

Alongside G7 partners, we’ll also be addressing other priorities ranging from Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine to climate change, economic security and global trade.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The UK and Japan share many closely held values, including an enduring commitment to freedom and democracy, and it is an honour to visit Tokyo during such a milestone year for our defence relationship.

We will be driving forward progress on two major defence and security treaties, which will protect both our peoples and bring our nations closer together than ever before.

Six months on from the British and Japanese Prime Ministers agreeing the Hiroshima Accord the UK and Japan have made strong progress on its implementation.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement has been brought into effect and both countries are now conducting more frequent, larger and more complex joint exercises – including VIGILANT ISLES 23 this November. The UK and Japan have also made progress on economics & trade and science & technology. We have agreed to cooperate as members of CPTTP, held our first strategic economic talks, progressed our AI commitments and cemented our collaboration on critical minerals.

At the G7, the Foreign Ministers will also discuss the need to maintain collective support for Ukraine and how international support from the UK and other G7 partners can be used most strategically to help Ukrainian forces continue their progress on the battlefield and secure a lasting peace.

The UK continues to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Alongside the international community we stand against this naked aggression and for freedom, democracy and the sovereignty of nations around the world.