When top diplomats from Group of Seven countries arrive in the picturesque resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, to kick off talks Sunday, they’ll have much more to talk about than the cool weather and mountain scenery.
They’ll be faced with the daunting challenge of setting an agenda — one expected to focus on alleged Russian atrocities in the Ukraine war, growing Chinese regional assertiveness, as well as energy, food and climate security — for their bosses at the G7 leader summit meet next month in the city of Hiroshima.
For G7 chair Japan, the only member in Asia, keeping the three-day meeting relevant to the region will be a key goal, with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi noting earlier this month that “the regional situation in the Indo-Pacific is one of the most important issues we intend to discuss” at both the Karuizawa and Hiroshima summits.