G7 foreign ministers discuss pandemic amid COVID scare

The pandemic and ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines were high on the list of concerns as G7 foreign ministers held a second day of talks on Wednesday.

On the second day of the summit in London, the ministers were joined by representatives from South Africa, Australia, India, South Africa and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

India minister out over COVID scare

India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said he would hold his talks virtually after being exposed to possible COVID-19 cases.

“As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 meeting today as well,” Jaishankar wrote on Twitter.

The minister began self-isolating after members of the India delegation tested positive for COVID-19.

On Monday, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the summit. But the US State Department said it saw no risk arising from the meeting.

“We will continue to follow the guidance of public health professionals going forward and abide by the same strict COVID-19 protocols,” spokesman Ned Price said.

Maintaining Korean stability 

Blinken met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on the sidelines of the G7 meeting, where they vowed to cooperate on policy concerning North Korea.

“They … agreed on the imperative of fully implementing relevant UN Security Council resolutions by UN member states, including North Korea, preventing proliferation, and cooperating to strengthen deterrence and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Price was quoted as saying by Reuters.

US President Joe Biden’s administration issued a policy review on North Korea, calling for practical progress with Pyongyang as opposed to the summits with leader Kim Jong Un that were carried out by former US President Donald Trump.

fb/rs (AP, AFP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/g7-foreign-ministers-discuss-pandemic-amid-covid-scare/a-57436890?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf