(VOVworld) -  The G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Lubeck ended on Wednesday with a joint statement. The 17-page document addresses 11 global issues including the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, the situation in various African states, the Ebola epidemic, Internet crime, armaments, and human rights issues. The Ministers urged Russia to play a more active role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, and called on all parties to adhere to and implement the Minsk accord. They underlined their support for Franco-German mediation efforts to solve the crisis in talks with Moscow and Kiev.

The G7 foreign ministers were committed to maintaining a maritime order based upon the principles of international law (photo: Reuters)

A separate statement on maritime security was endorsed after the meeting. The statement said that the world could comprehensively counter threats to maritime security only if all nations follow a cooperative approach based on international law and global coordination.
The G7 foreign ministers were committed to maintaining a maritime order based upon the principles of international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They said they will continue to observe the situation in the East Sea and condemn any unilateral actions, such as large scale land reclamation, which change the status quo and increase tensions. The foreign ministers strongly opposed any attempt to assert territorial or maritime claims through the use of intimidation, coercion or force and called on all states to pursue peaceful measures in accordance with international law.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will welcome the G7 nations to Baveria in June (photo: Reuters)

The G7 joint declaration underlined the importance of agreements and internationally recognized legal dispute settlement mechanisms. It called on all parties to push for the conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) while supporting implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).