Ukraine invited to meeting of G7 foreign ministers for first time

Ukraine's foreign minister has been invited to a meeting of G7 foreign ministers for the first time, Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko has said.

According to the diplomat, for the first time in history Ukraine will be present at a full-fledged, planned event of the G7 countries, Ukrainian Internet newspaper Yevropeiska Pravda reports.

"The time has come for serious, strategic decisions on Ukraine, Russia and how to turn the world towards peace and international order. We are glad that Ukraine will be able to join this difficult but critically necessary conversation, and we look forward to making a valuable contribution to future joint decisions," Shevchenko said.

The ambassador confirmed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin had received from his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland an invitation to the meeting, which will begin in Toronto April 22.

Shevchenko stressed that Ukraine was grateful to Canada as the country chairing the G7 for this initiative. "We see in this invitation the common will of all our friends in the Group of Seven," the diplomat said.

According to him, Ukraine hopes that this conversation will be continued at the G7 summit, which will take place in the Canadian region of Charlevoix in June.

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