Brussels, Belgium - 5 June 2014
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today concluded a two-day visit to Brussels, Belgium, where he participated in the G-7 Leaders’ Summit. The visit was part of a broader trip to Europe, which included a stop in Warsaw, Poland (June 4), to mark the 25th anniversary of the beginning of Poland’s transition from communism to democracy, a visit to Normandy, France (June 6), to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, and a stop in Kyiv, Ukraine (June 7), to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Petro Poroshenko as the new President of Ukraine.
During the Summit, leaders discussed actions the G-7 can take to strengthen the global economy, improve energy security, mitigate climate change and promote development. Prime Minister Harper pressed his G-7 colleagues for continued focus on improving children and women’s health in developing countries, following the successful Saving Every Woman, Every Child Summit in Toronto in May.
G-7 leaders also had frank discussions that focused on supporting the newly elected Ukrainian President and considering further measures to deter Russia’s continuing illegal occupation of Crimea and persistent military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. They also took stock of other international political and security challenges, including the situations in Syria, Iran and North Korea, with a view to promoting a more free, democratic and peaceful world.
