G7 Meeting in France Seeks to Narrow Differences with Washington Amid Rising Middle East Tensions

Welat TV – Erbil

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven are meeting on Thursday and Friday at the "Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay" near Paris, in an effort to reduce differences with the United States over the war in the Middle East, while maintaining other international issues—most notably Ukraine and the Gaza Strip—among the top priorities of discussions.

The meeting comes amid political escalation after the White House announced that Donald Trump is prepared to take decisive steps if Iran does not agree to a deal to end the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join the talks on Friday alongside his counterparts from Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and United Kingdom.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that France, which currently holds the group’s rotating presidency, aims to address global imbalances contributing to rising international tensions. He also called on Israel to refrain from expanding its operations in southern Lebanon, amid concerns over a broader escalation of the conflict.

In a move to expand international dialogue, France invited several emerging countries, including Brazil and India, as well as Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

Despite close alignment with Washington, none of the G7 countries has explicitly endorsed military operations against Iran.

European parties have instead expressed concern over the economic and regional stability implications of escalation, calling for de-escalation and diplomatic solutions.

The G7 is an informal political and economic forum comprising seven of the world’s most advanced industrial economies—alongside the European Union—established in 1975 to coordinate economic policies and address critical global issues such as security, economy, climate, and health.