G7 Leaders Agree to New Initiative to Fight Economic Coercion

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) hosts a working session as part of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) hosts a working session as part of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
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G7 Leaders Agree to New Initiative to Fight Economic Coercion

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) hosts a working session as part of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) hosts a working session as part of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023. (AFP)

Group of Seven leaders on Saturday agreed to a new initiative to counter economic coercion, and pledged action to ensure that any actors attempting to weaponize economic dependence would fail and face consequences.

The initiative, dubbed Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion, will use early warning and rapid information sharing on economic coercion with members meeting regularly for consultations, the leaders said in a statement.

"The world has encountered a disturbing rise in incidents of economic coercion that seek to exploit economic vulnerabilities," the G7 leaders said in a statement following a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.

The statement did not identify China, but in details released on Friday that outlined the proposed initiative, the British government pointed to attempts by China to use its economic power in political disputes with Australia and Lithuania.

The statement also committed the G7 leaders to deepen cooperation on hardening supply chains and called for a bigger role for lower income countries in promoting economic resilience.

They urged all nations to adhere to principles of "transparency, diversification, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness and reliability" in building supply chain networks.

The group also agreed to deepen cooperation in information sharing as it looks to establish new standards for next generation technologies.



European Companies Signing More than $42 Bln Worth of Deals in Egypt

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pauses before speaking during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, on June 20, 2023. (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pauses before speaking during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, on June 20, 2023. (AP)
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European Companies Signing More than $42 Bln Worth of Deals in Egypt

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pauses before speaking during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, on June 20, 2023. (AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pauses before speaking during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, on June 20, 2023. (AP)

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday European companies were signing more than 20 new deals or MOUs worth a total of more than 40 billion euros ($42.85 billion) at the Egypt-EU Investment Conference, Reuters reported.
The joint Investment Forum, which takes place in Cairo on 29th and 30th of June, is a first key deliverable of the Egypt-EU Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership agreed by the presidents of the EU and Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in March 2024.
The Partnership covers political relations, economic stability, investments and trade, migration and mobility, security and demography, and human capital.

The Conference will bring together some 1,000 participants, including Egyptian and EU Ministers, senior officials, European financial institutions and CEOs from a wide range of sectors from both the EU and Egypt.