Britain vows West, allies will ‘stand against aggressors’ ahead of G7 meet

The two-day gathering of foreign and development ministers will be the last in-person meeting of Britain’s year-long Group of Seven presidency

Asean ministers will join the summit for the first time ever on Sunday. South Korea, Australia, South Africa and India will also take part

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UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pictured ahead of the G7 foreign ministers summit in Liverpool, Britain. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:18am, 11 Dec 2021Updated: 6:45pm, 11 Dec 2021

The West and its allies need to be united against authoritarianism, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Saturday, as she hosted G7 counterparts with concern about threats from Russia and China.

The two-day gathering of foreign ministers from the world’s richest nations in Liverpool, northwest England, is the last in-person gathering of Britain’s year-long G7 presidency, before it hands over the baton to Germany.

Russia’s build-up of troops on Ukraine’s border is top of the agenda, alongside discussions on confronting China, limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and addressing the crisis in military-ruled Myanmar.

“We need to come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy,” Truss said as she formally opened the talks, without mentioning specific countries. “To do this, we need to have a fully united voice. We need to expand our economic and security posture around the world.”

Russia’s build-up of troops near Ukraine’s border will top the agenda of the summit, officials say. Photo: AP

Truss held talks on the sidelines of the summit on Friday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as Germany’s new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.