“It’s good to be back in Hiroshima. First of all I would like to thank Prime Minister Kishida for hosting us. I visited the Peace Memorial this time last year and I was moved by the tragic story of a survivor who told me how she escaped the terror.
It’s no coincidence we are here today, in Hiroshima, where an immense tragedy took place almost 80 years ago. It reminds us what we — as the G7 — are defending, and why we are defending it.
Peace and freedom — because it’s what all human beings want most.
We are a Union of values. And we will defend these values. And that’s why we are standing with the people of Ukraine. The Kremlin continues to fan the flames of war across Ukraine. In the EU we are working hard to get Ukraine what they need: more weapons, more ammunition — and faster. This will be crucial to its counter-offensive.
We have stood by the people of Ukraine since day one with solidarity and resolve. And we will keep it up for as long as it takes. We will reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s effort towards lasting peace — our EU support for Zelenskyy’s peace formula. Any credible peace plan must be anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, territorial sovereignty, and total integrity. One thing is clear: it is only up to Ukraine to decide when to consider negotiations.
Here in Hiroshima, we again clearly state that Russia’s rhetoric is unacceptable and irresponsible. Especially Russia’s nuclear rhetoric. And we call out Russia’s reckless actions around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Which deliberately risk the safety of an entire continent.
The EU also gives great importance to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. We reaffirm, here in Hiroshima, our full support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
We will continue to back Ukraine with strong military, political, humanitarian, and financial support. The EU and its Member States have already provided over 70 billion euros in assistance to Ukraine. The EU has also taken sweeping action to curb Russia’s military action.
We are now focused on shutting the door on loopholes. And continuing to cut Russia off from critical supplies. We will restrict trade in Russian diamonds. Russian diamonds are not forever and we will lay out openly and frankly why these sanctions are necessary and justified.
Russian propaganda is built on lies and conspiracy. We are fighting back with the facts and figures. The European Union is also building strong partnerships around the world. Only last year we spent 90 billion euros on global development assistance and this makes the EU and its Member States by far the largest provider of development support.
We are also engaging with partners to forge mutually beneficial partnerships. Many developing countries have moved into acute indebtedness. Multilateral Development Banks have a key role to play not only in the classical areas of development and poverty relief. It is essential that they can mobilise private capital. In particular, support a wider range of countries in tackling both the climate and digital transition. The G20 Presidency’s work to reform these Multilateral Development Banks is extremely important. They need to do better and they need to do more.
Open trade is the European DNA. That’s why we are working to build an open, rules-based multilateral trading system. It’s time to back the reforms of Director-General Ngozi and make the WTO fit for purpose and able to resolve trade disputes. Our goal must be to ensure a global level playing field. Trade policy plays a key role in advancing our partners’ green and digital transitions, human rights and labour conditions.
A stable and constructive relationship with China is in our mutual interest. The EU is firm on our values. We will keep voicing our concerns on human rights whether it is in Hong Kong, in Xinjiang or in Tibet. We will not tolerate interferences in our countries that would undermine our democratic societies.
And we will promote our interests. We have an interest in stable economic relations. We don’t want to decouple – but to de-risk, reduce our over-dependencies and diversify, to address unfair practices. We must re-balance our trade relationship — and create a true level playing field for our companies and for our workers.
We also need to engage together with China on global challenges: climate change, conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, debt sustainability. Given its role in the international community and the size of its economy, China has a special responsibility in the world. It has to play by international rules. And we call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression. On Taiwan we maintain our One China policy. No unilateral change of the status quo.
Finally, we need to build a global system where power is shared more fairly. And we need to do it together. Reform of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization would be steps in the right direction. We also have a common responsibility to ensure that the multilateral system can deliver. I have long advocated for African Union membership in the G20. So I’m extremely pleased to see we succeeded to put it in our draft declaration.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like again to thank you, dear people of Japan, dear Prime Minister Kishida, for your warm welcome here in Hiroshima. Europe and Japan share a strong bond — the painful memory of the death and destruction of world wars. That’s why we are so determined to make sure that this never happens again. And that’s why the EU — and the G7 — will defend the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. For greater peace and for greater prosperity. I thank you.