The G7 Summit in Japan
The heads of state and government of the Group of Seven are meeting in Ise-Shima, Japan, to discuss key political issues.
Economic growth, refugees, terrorism: these are the key issues for the heads of state and government at the Group of Seven (G7) summit conference which is being held in Ise-Shima, Japan on 26 and 27 May 2016. Japan is now the host, following Germany which took over the G7 presidency in 2015 and organised the summit at Schloss Elmau. At the beginning of May the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travelled to Germany for preliminary talks. He met with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel at Schloss Meseberg near Berlin, the guest house of the federal government. After their talks the Federal Chancellor said that the key issue of the G7 discussions will be the economy and free trade. Shinzo Abe said it is important to send out a “strong message” in order to stimulate global growth. Japan and Germany are interested in carrying forward the free trade agreement between the European Union and Japan. The Federal Chancellor said that Germany is doing its utmost to try and complete the agreement negotiations before the end of 2016. Whilst Japan’s Prime Minister is especially interested in an expansive fiscal policy and accelerated structural change, Chancellor Merkel is arguing for a balanced ‘triad’ of structural reforms, investment and monetary policy by the central banks, complemented by a solid budgetary policy.
Standing together in the fight against terror
Shinzo Abe and Angela Merkel also talked in Meseberg about questions of foreign and security policy. “We are standing together in the fight against terrorism,” Chancellor Merkel said. And she stressed that Japan is making an outstanding contribution towards helping people in Syria and the region. Many of the points on the agenda had already been discussed at the 2015 G7 Summit in Germany, for instance the role of women, reconciling work and family life, and health and pandemics. In Meseberg, Shinzo Abe agreed to address issues surrounding the role of women as well as social and healthcare systems at the summit conference in Ise-Shima.
G7 Summit from 26 to 27 May 2016 in Ise-Shima, Japan
