Foreign Ministers of the G7 were summoned by France for an emergency summit on the wars in Iran and Ukraine in Vaux-de-Cernay, southwest of Paris, where the arrival of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected on Friday. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand anticipated that the main objective of the meeting will be to support "collectively" a de-escalation in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
"We must continue to use diplomatic channels to ensure there is a collective consensus not only for de-escalation but also to mitigate the economic impact and emphasize the need to preserve civilian lives," Anand warned, reiterating that Canada "has no intention of participating in offensive attacks."
France currently presides over the G7, and the emergency meeting on Thursday and Friday is seen as a prelude to the summit to be held from June 15 to 17 in Évian-Les-Bains, attended by the heads of state of the seven most industrialized countries on the planet.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot justified the urgent summons due to the growing concern over military escalation and the economic impact of the Iran war, as well as the stalemate in peace negotiations in Ukraine.
Foreign Ministers from Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, have been summoned to the summit at the abbey of Vaux-de-Cernay, near the château de Rambouillet where Valéry Giscard d'Estaing convened the first meeting of the then G6 50 years ago, due to the 1973 oil crisis.
The summons comes a day after French Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon publicly warned that "the unpredictability of Washington is affecting the security interests of allies."
The summit began on Thursday afternoon in the absence of Marco Rubio, who was "delayed" until the last moment in the US capital. His arrival is announced for early Friday, when allies are expected to demand "clarification" from the US Secretary of State on military operations in Iran by the US and Israel, as well as on the opening of diplomatic channels.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil flows, will be another priority. French President Emmanuel Macron, who sent the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Eastern Mediterranean, has committed to leading a coalition to ensure maritime navigation freedom when there is a de-escalation of the conflict.
Jean-Noël Barrot also aims to leverage Marco Rubio's presence to reactivate peace negotiations in Ukraine, emphasizing the need to maintain the sanctions regime against Moscow, following the controversial decision by the Trump Administration to "temporarily" lift sanctions on Russian oil currently transported by its "ghost fleet" to alleviate the critical situation created by the Iran war.