As the 2025 president of the G7, Canada plans to focus on global peace, maritime law, and the “strategic contestation” of territory in the Indo-Pacific.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly chaired Thursday morning’s roundtable meeting as foreign ministers from G7 countries — including the US, Japan, France, the U.K., Germany, Italy, and the European Union — gathered in Charlevoix, QC.
Joly opened the meeting with a cursory land acknowledgment before outlining a long list of global regions she believes the G7 should prioritize.
“We must meet the moment,” Joly said in her opening remarks. “We should not be daunted by the task.”
“Peace and stability are at the top of our agenda.”
Joly then named several regions of focus for this year’s G7 agenda, emphasizing the need for “collective thinking” and “collective solutions,” with Ukraine and the Middle East topping the list.
“I look forward to discussing how we can continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal aggression and ensuring lasting justice and peace in Ukraine,” said Joly.
“We want to foster long-term stability in the Middle East, first and foremost for the people of the region. We also aim to build resilience and stability in the Indo-Pacific, Haiti, and Venezuela.”
“We must also work to restore peace and stability in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
Joly also highlighted the critical “maritime dimension,” describing targeted attacks—without identifying the aggressors—intended to “restrict freedom of navigation, grow shadow fleets, conceal dark vessels, sabotage critical undersea infrastructure, conduct illegal fishing, and deplete maritime biodiversity.”
Finally, Joly addressed China, stating that the G7 must examine “growing strategic contestation in the Red Sea, the South and East China Seas, and the Taiwan Strait.”
She did not directly mention the ongoing tariff dispute between Canada and the United States.
According to CTV News, Joly spoke privately with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of Thursday’s meeting, though no details of their conversation were disclosed.
Joly’s remarks on Ukraine follow President Volodymyr Zelensky’s acceptance—after initial resistance in the Oval Office — of a US-orchestrated ceasefire with Russia, contingent on Russia meeting certain conditions.
“With this agreement, Ukraine has once again demonstrated its desire to end the war as soon as possible and its commitment to being a constructive partner,” Joly wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
“Canada has been a champion of the human dimensions of peace, and we strongly support this ceasefire, including key elements such as prisoner exchanges, the release of civilian detainees, and, of course, the return of Ukrainian children.”
