Nuclear disarmament is expected to be a key agenda item during an upcoming meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers in central Japan, government sources said Thursday, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes to use the G-7 summit to pitch his idea of a world free of nuclear weapons.
During the three-day talks in the resort town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture from Sunday, the G-7 ministers will also discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as China and Iran, which maintain friendly ties with Russia, according to the Japanese sources.
In addition to welcoming events and a working dinner, Japan is preparing six sessions, of which one on Tuesday will be dedicated to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.
During the talks on nuclear issues, the top diplomats will likely discuss ways to progress toward the abolition of nuclear weapons in what they call a realistic manner amid China's military buildup and Russia's nuclear blackmailing.
Of the G-7 nations, Britain, France and the United States possess nuclear weapons. The group also comprises Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
The foreign ministers will wrap up their talks by releasing a joint statement. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will also hold a press conference as the chair.
Kishida, who will chair the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, has called for a world free of nuclear weapons as the leader of the only country to have suffered the devastation of atomic bombings in war. However, Japan also relies on U.S. nuclear weapons for protection and has not joined a U.N. treaty prohibiting the destructive arms.
The participants to the Karuizawa gathering will also likely reiterate their demand for Russia to end its war immediately and voice opposition to attempts to change the status quo by force amid concerns over China's maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region in the joint statement, according to a source close to the matter.
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