G7 will prove multilateralism works, says French finance minister

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said on Monday that the G7 will prove the effectiveness of multilateralism as finance ministers from the world’s largest economies gather in Paris for a two-day meeting amid ongoing Middle East tensions.

Unsustainable global growth

“I think today we are going to show that multilateralism is useful and that it works,” Lescure told reporters ahead of the meeting. He stressed the need to demonstrate that countries can tackle shared challenges together, pointing to unsustainable global imbalances, the growing importance of raw materials and critical minerals, and crises severely affecting vulnerable nations. “The way global growth is unfolding today is clearly unsustainable. We must address this and commit to one another to ensure that we return to a more sustainable growth model,” he said.

Middle East tensions loom over talks

The meeting takes place against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, but talks failed to secure a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended indefinitely by President Trump, though the US has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian maritime traffic since April 13. Türkiye continues to support multilateral platforms for resolving global economic and security challenges and advocates for inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of regional instability.