(March 26): Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said she will press at a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers for a reduction in hostilities in the US- and Israel-led war in Iran as countries around the world contend with a surge in energy prices.
Anand told Bloomberg Television on Thursday ahead of the meeting in France that she recently spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the situation in the Middle East.
“We are going to make sure that there’s an exchange of views as well as to hear from Secretary Rubio and then to ensure that hopefully we can work towards de-escalation,” Anand said. “Canada wants to play a role in this diplomacy to work towards the preservation of civilian life.”
The war in Iran has dented economic expectations, with the OECD increasing its average inflation forecast for the Group of 20 this year to 4%, up from the 2.8% it predicted in December.
Rubio is expected to join the G7 meeting on Friday, when they’ll discuss the situation in the Middle East as well as Ukraine.
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“We believe strongly that the G7 can play a useful role in maintaining the stability of supply chains,” Anand said.
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