G7 Ministers to meet for 1st time in 2 yrs

LONDON: Ministers from the G7 countries will meet in person for the first time in two years on Monday in London, where they will discuss the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, a post-Brexit trade deal, Iran's nuclear programme and China.

Ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US are due to meet British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, reports dpa news agency.

Members of the European Union will also attend, and representatives from Australia, India, South Korea, South Africa and the chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations have been invited as guests.

Raab is expected to meet one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at lunchtime, and with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later on in the afternoon.

Ahead of the meetings, the UK Foreign Office said the ministers will also discuss plans to boost girls' education and women's employment in recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A $15 billion fund is being set up by the countries that will be administered to developing countries over the next two years.

The nations are also signing up to new global targets that aim to get 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more girls reading by the age of 10 in low- and lower-middle income countries by 2026.

The face-to-face meeting is taking place ahead of a G7 summit planned for June in the English seaside county of Cornwall.