Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora (2nd L), British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (3rd L), German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (4th L), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (5th L), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (5th R), Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly (4th R), French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (3rd R), Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani (2nd R) and two Japanese local officials (1st L, 1st R) pose for a group photo during a welcome ceremony at the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
KARUIZAWA, Japan, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc.
The top diplomats, including Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are expected to discuss issues such as the Ukraine crisis and nuclear disarmament over the next two days.
On Sunday, Hayashi and his G7 counterparts took the one-hour shinkansen train ride from Tokyo to Karuizawa, whose arrival was accompanied by protests in the train station area, with people holding banners like "Objection to G7," calling the role of the club of the rich countries into question.
The talks in Karuizawa, which run until Tuesday, are meant to prepare for setting the agenda for the G7 leaders' summit to be held in Hiroshima in May. ■
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (L), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C), and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi are pictured during a welcome ceremony at the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
A protester holding a placard is pictured near the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
Protesters holding banners and placards are pictured near the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
Protesters holding placards are pictured near the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
A protester holding a placard is pictured near the Karuizawa station of shinkansen train in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on April 16, 2023. The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gathered Sunday in the central Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, as people took part in demonstrations to protest against the bloc. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
