G7 condemns Russian attacks on Ukrainian grain infrastructure

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) have condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian grain infrastructure in a joint statement on 29 October, and called for fair competition between Russia and China.

G7 foreign ministers following a meeting in Osaka in Japan, which holds the G7 presidency this year, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

In a joint statement, the G7 trade ministers "deplored and condemned Russia's destruction of Ukrainian grain export infrastructure" after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Agreement in July.

Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's grain and port infrastructure since withdrawing from the agreement that allowed Kyiv to export its grain, which is crucial for global food security.

The G7 ministers also called for the "immediate abolition of all measures that unduly restrict trade," including Japanese food imports.

China and Russia have recently suspended imports of Japanese seafood due to Tokyo's discharge of wastewater into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in northeastern Japan, which was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami.

Discussions during the two-day G7 summit also focused on China's "economic coercion" and anti-competitive practices and the need to reduce dependence on Chinese and Russian imports.

The G7 nations are also expected to announce a mechanism for restricting imports of Russian diamonds by the end of October, following which the European Union will immediately finalise a proposal for the 12th package of sanctions against Russia.