G7 Foreign Ministers Condemn Russian Behaviour, Says It Impedes Cooperation

Toronto: Foreign ministers from Group of Seven leading industrialised nations on April 23 united to condemn Russia for what they called “a pattern of irresponsible and destabilising” behaviour and urged Moscow to help resolve the conflict in Syria.

The ministers agreed to create a working group to study Russia’s “malign behaviour” and said they were working on a plan to improve coordination to push back against foreign interference in elections.

“We call on Russia to cease this behaviour, which is highly detrimental to prospects for constructive cooperation,” the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement.

The two-day meeting in Toronto was meant to prepare for a G7 leaders’ summit in Charlevoix, Quebec on June 7-8.

US intelligence agencies have said Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election campaign, and Russia is also blamed for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain last month, which the G7 statement strongly condemned. Moscow has denied involvement in either event.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said G7 ministers expressed deep concern about Russia’s efforts to destabilise democracies by interfering in elections.

“The G7 countries are committed to preventing, stopping and responding to foreign interference,” she told a news conference at the end of talks.

“There are consequences for those who seek to undermine our democracies,” she said, adding there was clear unity among G7 allies on Russia.

(Reuters)

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