Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist September 2019 | Page 30

GLOBAL CENTRE STAGE
The dilemma raised here is that
“Our house” is not only burning in the
Amazon, but it is also burning within
and between countries — as the flames
of sovereigntism have spread around
the world. It is a series of wildfires
that the G-7 might be able to snuff
out in some regions — but only if the
seven countries can better coordinate
their fire-fighting techniques, and work
with future partners, including Russia
and India. 
To offset the G-7’s negative image
as a costly, closed-door, oligarchical,
neo-colonial “club” of Westerners plus
Japan, President Macron has introduced
a number of innovations. Intended
to make the G-7 more effective and
inclusive, these innovations seek to
expand the number of participants by
including liberal democracies with
a major regional influence, African
partner states, and key representatives
of civil society. By also meeting with
leaders of non-G-7 states, Macron
has hoped that the G-7 can  address
the concerns of those states — and
possibly help mediate a number of
significant disputes.
By inviting Iranian Foreign Minister
Javad Zarif to the summit unannounced,
Macron hoped to impress President
Trump with the need to prevent Tehran
from exiting the 2015 nuclear accord
that limits Iran’s capacity to enrich
uranium. Macron also wanted to show
how the threat of US sanctions on
states, such as India, China, Turkey,
among others, that purchase Iranian oil
and gas, has raised disaccord. In effect,
Macron has wanted to mediate between
the US and Iran before it is too late
to prevent a major conflict involving
acts of terrorism and regional military
interventions that could lead energy
prices to skyrocket. As a positive result,
with G-7 and EU backing, Washington
and Tehran could soon meet in direct
discussions — if the right political
conditions are met.
Macron’s behind the scenes meeting
with Russian President Vladimir Putin
was intended to forge a new strategy
toward Moscow in the realization
that  “The European continent… will
never be in security, if we don’t pacify
and clarify our relations with Russia”
in Macron’s words. The dilemma is that
US and European sanctions that were
placed on Russia in response to Putin’s
decision to annex Crimea in 2014 have
not changed Russian behavior — and
have generated a new arms rivalry. 
As tensions with Moscow have
mounted, President Donald Trump has
hoped to bring Russia back into the G-7,
perhaps in 2020 when the US hosts the
next G-7 summit. This proposal has
thus far been opposed by France,
the UK and Germany, who believe it
would be a strategic error to reward
Russia with G-7 membership without
first obtaining some form of “progress”
in ameliorating the conflict between
Moscow and Kiev over eastern Ukraine
and the Crimea.  Paris and Berlin are
accordingly expected to organize a
Normandy format summit to help
negotiate the Ukraine question in the
near future. In addition to preventing a
new arms rivalry that could indirectly
impact India, the promise of closer ties
between the US, Europeans and Russia
could work to draw Moscow away from
its burgeoning economic and military
ties to Beijing.
In addition to meeting with Zarif
and Putin, Macron met with Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a very
upbeat encounter. In strong support of
Macron’s pro-environmental policies,
Modi  addressed the need to develop
solar energy, protect biodiversity, and
eliminate excess plastic.  Macron and
Modi affirmed in their joint statement
that they will support new initiatives
Macron publicly appeared to accept Modi’s position that
Kashmir was a sovereign matter and that New Delhi and
Islamabad could deal with the Kashmir issue bilaterally.
For his part, after his meeting with Modi, President Trump
appeared to back off on his offer to help “mediate” or
“assist” India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
30 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 9 • September 2019, Noida