In Brittany, the seven major States of the West to advise the state of the world – and, of course, the Brexit. The US foreign Minister, but remained at home and sent a representative. Bernd Riegert from Dinard.
The gusty Wind whipped cold rain on the waterfront of the Breton seaside town of Dinard. The sky is gray. The sea is grey. The pretty stone houses are made of grey granite. The French foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian comes from the area and has therefore invited the rest of the six leading Western democracies here. In April, one has to reckon with the rain, says Le Drian in the well-heated Casino, and smiles. “We have here in Brittany a Tradition: A wet wedding is a good wedding. That is why I say: A wet G7 is a good G7.”
The French hosts will mainly talk about the social and political inequalities in the world. The group of Seven (United States, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, additionally, the EU as an observer) wants to enter into a new partnership with Africa, promises to Le Drian. The G7 intends to support peace missions of the African States on the continent of Europe more than in the past. The protection of women in the many conflict regions must be the priority. Human trafficking and the smuggling of weapons to fight the G7. The Minister of foreign Affairs to prepare appropriate action plans, which will then be used by their bosses, the heads of state and government at the summit meeting in August in Biarritz adopted.
Self-protection against Cyber-attacks
The protection of their own democracies against interference, electoral manipulation, Propaganda, and hacker attacks needed to be improved, more calls Jean-Yves Le Drian. “We need to be able to defend ourselves – even in this area.” The canadian foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland believes that Russia is trying to influence elections in the West and in your country. “You don’t directly manipulate the results, but they polarize and split the companies to make us cynical,” says Freeland.
Federal foreign Minister Heiko Maas: London still needs to answer a lot of questions about the Brexit
The French presidency of the G7 has prepared a package of initiatives to address the consequences of globalization cushion and assets, and to distribute wealth more evenly. Half of the world’s assets lie in the hands of only one percent of the world’s population, – stated in the conference documents of the French. “This cannot continue”, my diplomats in the background conversation. “The French have recognized this as a theme, because in their own country, people go out on the street.” For months, thousands of people in yellow vests to demonstrate every week against social injustice, which brings the French President, Emmanuel Macron in distress.
No summit without the use of Brexit
The British foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt is in Dinard, and must speak, of course, especially to the forthcoming Brexit-the exit from the EU. “None of us want to actually, say, a long extension of the Brexit talks, in accordance with article 50”, Hunt on the questions of British journalists. Participation in the elections to the European Parliament should be avoided, however, would have to start for legal reasons, the preparations for the elections. “We now have a totally blocked the Parliament,” admits Hunt. “Leaving without an agreement would be bad for the United Kingdom and the EU. France knows that,” said the British foreign Minister in response to Statements from Paris that the French President at a special summit of EU will not say next week, Yes to the requested extension. The British Prime Minister, Theresa May wants to up to 30. June time to get an approval for the Brexit Treaty to push through. At the end of may, it must be the European Parliament in the United Kingdom re-elected, if the British should then be members in the EU. “London still has many questions to answer,” said the German foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Dinard. “This is a difficult Situation.”
Pompeo is conspicuous by its absence
The American Secretary of state Mike Pompeo has cancelled the Meeting of its participation in the G7, and sent a representative. Diplomats see this as a certain disinterest of the USA in this Forum. The Ministers of the other six States want to know about it officially. “We have our differences with the United States, but we see the USA as the leading democracy in the world,” said the canadian foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland. The G7 will continue to be used, because “we are in a critical Moment of world politics.” Democracies are under pressure, not only from the outside, from the inside. The concerns, the United States, said the canadian foreign Minister.
Also at the G7 summit in Canada in 2018, the representative of the United States, this is the President himself gave, reserved
The German Minister Heiko Maas sees no big Problem in the absence of the US colleagues Mike Pompeo. “We have in the last few days very intensively and also entertain seen. To the extent that is bearable.” In fact, most of the G7 were Meeting of foreign Ministers directly from the NATO in Washington, the Mike Pompeo as the host acted. “Multilateralism-the Marathon continues”, described the German Minister his view on the travel. First, you will have seen on Monday at the United Nations in New York, then to NATO in Washington, and now finally in France. “We have no reason to doubt that the Americans involved in the G7 Format. I am sure that this will remain so in the future.”
French diplomats are more sceptical. You believe that Mike Pompeo wanted to truancy, for example, a discussion on climate change, which is in Dinard on the agenda. US President, Donald Trump had discarded the Parisian climate protection agreement of the United Nations and in the past year, the G7 summit in Canada although attended, but politically blocked. “We hope that Biarritz will run better”, the French organizers in the views on the summit in August. “And that the Brexit will then have taken place, we hope to do well.” To almost all of the Brexit-weary diplomats, and the journalists agreed.