G7 foreign ministers' meeting begins in Toronto

TORONTO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations began their two-day meeting here on Sunday to discuss issues about Russia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Syria and Ukraine.

Chaired by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, the meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of the United States, Italy, France,Canada, Germany, Britain and Japan as well as the EU representative.

Freeland will be joined on Monday by Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who will host G7 ministerial security meeting on terrorism and cyber security.

The meeting, which is part of the Meeting of G7 Foreign and Security Ministers on Building a More Peaceful and Secure World, will be followed by the G7 Security Ministers' Meeting on April 23-24.

It is meant to prepare for the G7 Summit which is scheduled to open in Charlevoix of Canada's Quebec province on June 7-8.

On Saturday, acting U.S. Secretary of State John Sullivan met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who was invited to join part of Sunday's meeting.

On Saturday night, Freeland and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono signed an efficiency agreement which will allow each other's military troops to share equipment during joint exercises in Canada, Japan and elsewhere.

Freeland and Kono met last month in Tokyo where they affirmed their commitment to keep economic and diplomatic pressure on the DPRK to end its nuclear program.

The meeting comes after the DPRK announced its suspension of nuclear and missile tests starting from Saturday, and the dismantlement of a northern nuclear test ground to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests. Enditem