G7 Summit: Joint Statement Fails to Address Disagreements

(Baonghean) - Last weekend, the Group of Seven (G7) summit took place in the city of Taormina on the island of Sicily, Italy.

Although a joint statement was issued on some issues, the agreement failed to bridge the existing disagreements and conflicts among member states, particularly the United States.

Rare consensus on security

With terrorism spreading globally, security and counter-terrorism have become a shared concern for all seven G7 member countries at this summit.

Taking place immediately after the suicide bombing in the UK that killed 22 people and injured more than 100 others, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni emphasized right from the start that this conference must produce a joint statement on combating terrorism and ensuring security to meet the expectations of people around the world.

Leaders of the countries attending the G7 Summit.

As expected, on the very first day of the conference, the G7 delegates adopted a 15-point joint statement on combating terrorism and violent extremism.

Regardless of whether terrorist acts are directed against G7 members or other countries and regions, the joint statement emphasized that the G7 considers counter-terrorism a key priority and will take the strongest possible actions together to “seek out, identify, eliminate, and punish all terrorists and their supporters.”

Notably, the statement also called on internet service providers and social media networks to make greater efforts in preventing the dissemination of content that incites and spreads extremist ideologies by terrorist groups.

This consensus is easy to explain, as the increasingly sophisticated transformations of terrorist forces are causing great confusion among all governments, including the US and European countries.

A multitude of lone wolves, targeting civilians, public places, improvised explosive devices, and more, can appear anywhere, anytime they wish. In this context, only unity, information sharing, and concerted action can help stop the tentacles of extremist terrorism.

Several other issues related to regional security, such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula or the situation in the South China Sea and East China Sea, also received consensus at the conference.

Specifically, the G7 stated its readiness to intensify measures to address the North Korean issue if the country does not abandon its nuclear programs.

The G7 joint statement also expressed concern about the situation in the South China Sea and East China Sea, and called for demilitarization on “disputed entities”.

Full of disagreements

Despite reaching consensus on security and counter-terrorism, this conference is still considered the most contentious and challenging in years. This was the assertion of European Council President Donald Tusk when referring to "cornerstones" such as the climate agreement, protectionism, and migration.

The disagreements were undeniable when world leaders failed to persuade US President Donald Trump to support the Paris Agreement on climate change. The public surely still remembers that during his presidential campaign, Donald Trump asserted he would withdraw from the agreement, arguing that it harmed American companies.

Keeping his promise, on March 28th, the US President signed an executive order on energy independence to review the climate legacy of former President Barack Obama, including the Paris Agreement.

Combating climate change is one of the topics with the most disagreements at this G7 summit.

Furthermore, the issue of migration has also sparked disagreements related to the ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries. Although G7 leaders have held direct meetings with five African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, and Tunisia – which are destinations and transit points for hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe, a joint statement on the issue has yet to be issued.

Of course, everyone understands that the complexities arising from the US President's immigration order will need to be addressed. Meanwhile, how the responsibilities of "destination" countries in Europe will be allocated to "origin points" in Africa and the Middle East remains an unanswered question.

Fundamental solutions such as helping African countries develop their economies and encouraging young people to return home are not yet feasible.

Another prominent conflict is the issue of trade protectionism. The public is well aware that the Trump administration's stance in recent times has been anti-globalization and supportive of protectionism.

Perhaps the leaders of the other six G7 countries anticipated this situation and therefore put pressure on the US. As a result, President Donald Trump finally agreed to the group's joint statement on recommitting to open markets and "fighting protectionism."

However, agreeing is one thing, but the reality is another. The G7 group will still have to anxiously wait to see what happens next.

Disagreement with NATO

US President Donald Trump's first appearance at the G7 summit became the focus of attention (Source: Reuters).

Not only are they overshadowed by a series of thorny issues and conflicts, but most G7 members, who are also NATO members, are also uneasy about US President Donald Trump's recent speech.

The US president criticized the unfair contributions of members while avoiding mentioning Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which requires member states to defend each other in the event of an attack.

This statement is likely to widen the gap between the US and NATO more than ever before. But at the same time, according to observers, it could also jeopardize the US's position within the alliance.

Based on what was demonstrated at the recent summit, it is clear that a joint statement from the G7 group is more symbolic than substantive. Everyone can see the underlying disagreements among the leaders attending this conference.

In particular, if the US government under President Donald Trump remains steadfast in its previous commitments and statements on climate change, migration, or trade protectionism, the path to unity and solidarity for the G7 will be extremely difficult!

Phuong Hoa