Canada vows to fight sanctions evasion, shadow fleet as G7 chair

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that Canada in the role of the G7 chair will focus on fighting sanctions circumvention and shadow fleet, and will also deal with the protection of underwater infrastructure and maritime security.

The foreign policy chief met with journalists at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Among other things, she spoke about Ottawa's plans for the next year, during which the state will fulfil the duties of the chairmanship in the G7, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We will definitely be working on an approach to maritime security that will include circumventing sanctions, addressing shadow fleet issues, underwater infrastructure,” the diplomat emphasized.

According to Joly, the Canadian authorities also intend to pay attention to the issues of combating illegal fishing.

Notably, Canada is set to chair the G7 in 2025, with the G7 Leaders' Summit scheduled to take place in Kananaskis, Alberta, in June 2025. This will mark Canada's time in the presidency following Italy's leadership in 2024. The country will play a significant role in shaping discussions on global issues, continuing its active participation in the group, which includes countries like the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The Leaders’ summit will focus on key global issues such as building inclusive economies, tackling climate change, and addressing rapidly evolving technologies​

The G7 is an informal group of like-minded partners that includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. The G7 serves as a forum for frank and open discussions between leaders, ministers and policy-makers. As a member of the G7, Canada plays a leading role on the international stage and is able to advance both domestic and international priorities.

The G7 presidency rotates annually among member countries in the following order: France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. The European Union is not part of the rotation.

By Khagan Isayev