EAM Jaishankar, Canadian FM Anand discuss West Asia crisis on G7 sidelines

Paris: The West Asia crisis and its consequences figured prominently during a conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on the margins of a G7 meeting in France.

Jaishankar arrived here on Thursday for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

On its sidelines, he met Anand, and the two followed up "on the partnership our Prime Ministers advanced during our visit to India earlier this year," the Canadian Foreign Minister said in an X post.

They also discussed "trade, the situation in the Middle East, and key areas where we can deepen cooperation, including critical minerals, agriculture, and education," she said.

At the two-day G7 meeting, Jaishankar will discuss the West Asia crisis with a focus on coordinating efforts to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for international shipping.

The narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), and global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked it.

The G7 meeting, being held at Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay on March 26–27, came at the invitation of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noel Barrot.

The Group of 7 (G7) brings together seven of the world's most advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The European Union is also a member of the bloc.

Besides India, France has invited Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Brazil.

The G7 serves as the forum of choice for its members to discuss and coordinate action in response to major economic, financial and geopolitical challenges on the global stage.