As he prepared to depart for Canada for the meeting, Merz anticipated that the Middle East issue would be a primary focus and expressed his desire for the G7 to show a united front.
The four points included: that Iran must not be allowed to develop or possess nuclear weapons; that Israel has the right to defend itself against existential threats, which he identified as stemming from Iran’s nuclear program; that the conflict must not escalate; and that avenues for diplomacy must be established.
“I would like to emphasize that in Germany we are also preparing for the possibility that Iran may target Israeli or Jewish interests within our country,” Merz informed reporters, without elaborating further.
He added that the war in Ukraine would also be a topic of discussion at the G7, emphasizing the need for increased pressure on Russia to return to the negotiating table. To that end, European leaders were looking to finalize new sanctions against Moscow by the end of this month, he noted.
Merz also mentioned that economic matters would be on the agenda, with efforts directed towards reaching an agreement on tariffs following the Trump administration’s earlier decision to impose them on key trade partners this year.
(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
