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Tuesday 11 april 2017
G-7 ministers seek unity in bid to press Russia over Assad

Continued from front pulled into a military con-
flict with Russia, whose re-
Tillerson accompanied lations with the West have
Alfano to Santa’Anna di been on a downward spi-
Stazzema, where 560 civil- ral for several years.
ians, including some 130 Russia was kicked out of
children, were killed in the club of industrialized
1944. nations, formerly the G-8,
The two-day G-7 meeting after its 2014 annexation
in the Tuscan walled city of of Ukraine’s Crimea region
Lucca is bringing together and assistance for pro-Rus-
the foreign ministers of sian separatists in eastern
France, Germany, Britain, Ukraine.
Japan and Canada, the The flipside of the talk
U.S. and current G-7 presi- about sanctions from John-
dent Italy, as well as Euro- son and other diplomats
pean Union foreign policy is an implicit promise that
chief Federica Mogherini. Moscow could be allowed
Ahead of the full meeting, to rejoin the G-8, if it drops
Tillerson held bilateral talks its support for Assad.
with G-7 counterparts in- “I think the Russians need
cluding Britain’s Johnson, a way out and a way for-
French Foreign Minister ward,” Johnson said.
Jean-Marc Ayrault and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, and Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, left, speak to The British foreign secre-
Japanese Foreign Minister the media after laying a wreath at a memorial in Santa’ Anna di Stazzema, a site of Nazi atrocities tary had been due to visit
Fumio Kishida. where 560 civilians, including some 130 children, were killed during World War II, Monday, April Russian counterpart Ser-
Kishida said that “Japan 10, 2017. Tillerson said Monday that the United States is rededicating itself to hold to account “any gey Lavrov in Moscow
supports the U.S. com- and all” who commit crimes against innocent people. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven before the G-7 meeting.
mitment in trying to take industrialized nations are gathering in Lucca for a meeting given urgency by the chemical attack Johnson canceled the trip
responsibility to prevent in Syria and the U.S. military response, with participants aiming to pressure Russia to end its support at the last minute, saying
for President Bashar Assad.
spread and use of chemi- (Riccardo Dalle Luche/ANSA via AP) the chemical attack had
cal weapons and we con- “changed the situation
firmed Japan and the U.S. persistent ballistic missile through relations between ister Mohammad Javad fundamentally.”
will continue to work to- tests. the West and Moscow, Zarif, whose government is His decision drew taunts
gether (in that effort).” It is also taking place amid which backs Assad diplo- another backer of Assad’s, from opponents that John-
Tillerson also spoke by an ongoing terror threat matically and militarily and also called for an inde- son was a “poodle” of the
phone with Turkish Foreign that was underscored by denies Syrian forces used pendent inquiry under U.N. Americans who had been
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Palm Sunday bombing chemical weapons. auspices when he spoke told to stay home so he
whose government insists of Coptic churches in Egypt Russia planned to put for- Monday to Alfano, Italy’s would not upstage Tiller-
Assad should play no role claimed by the Islamic ward a proposal on Mon- foreign ministry said in a son.
in Syria’s future. State group, and another day for an independent statement. But Johnson said Monday
The G-7 meeting comes as truck attack on European and impartial investigation The United States is fight- that “it is the Americans
the United States is sending soil, this time in Stockholm, of the attack, a spokesman ing Islamic State group mili- who have changed the
a Navy carrier strike group on Friday. for German Foreign Minister tants in Syria, but had previ- game by using those cruise
toward the Korean Penin- Syria, though, topped the Sigmar Gabriel said, calling ously avoided striking gov- missiles,” and it was right for
sula in a show of strength agenda. The chemical at- it “a good and important ernment forces, largely out the rest of the G-7 unite be-
following North Korea’s tack has sent a new chill sign.” Iranian Foreign Min- of concern about being hind Tillerson.q

Sweden mourns 4 killed, 15 wounded in Stockholm truck attack

MATTI HUUHTANEN ister Stefan Lofven said “the and determination and statement that U.S. Presi- with a hijacked beer truck,
DAVID KEYTON whole of Sweden” sympa- power of our democratic dent Donald Trump called but only identified him as a
Associated Press thized with the families and societies,” Lofven said. “We Lofven on Sunday and 39-year-old Uzbek whose
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swe- friends of the victims. will never surrender to ter- “the two leaders agreed Swedish residency applica-
den observed a minute of The suspect, named in ror. We will get through to maintain and strengthen tion was rejected last year.
silence Monday on a na- court documents Monday this together,” he said. The the already close partner- He is being held on suspi-
tional day of mourning for as 39-year-old Uzbekistan U.N. Security Council con- ship between the United cion of terrorist offenses.
the four people killed and national Rakhmat Akilov, demned “the barbaric and States and Sweden in the Swedish police chief Dan
15 wounded in a truck at- allegedly drove the truck cowardly terrorist attack” in global fight against terror- Eliasson told a news confer-
tack last week, while the into a crowd outside an the strongest terms on Mon- ism.” In February, Trump ence that “we are sure that
suspect’s name emerged upscale department store day and reiterated that surprised Swedes when he we have the driver of the
in court papers and the in central Stockholm on Fri- “any acts of terrorism are suggested Sweden could truck,” and Stockholm re-
U.N. Security Council con- day. The four people killed criminal and unjustifiable, be the next European gional police commander
demned the rampage. included two Swedes, a regardless of their motiva- country to suffer the kind of Jan Evensson said that sus-
Swedish royalty, foreign British man and a Belgian tion, wherever, whenever extremist attacks that have picions against the Uzbek
diplomats and politicians woman. and by whomsoever com- devastated France, Bel- suspect “had grown stron-
were among the crowds The victims’ home coun- mitted.” The council under- gium and Germany. ger” during questioning.
gathered for a noon obser- tries suffered “horrendous lined the need to bring the Police arrested a man on “He will sit behind bars for
vance outside Stockholm acts of terrorism, but we perpetrators to justice. Friday night after the at- the rest of his life,” Evensson
City Hall, where Prime Min- have also seen the strength The White House said in a tack that was carried out said. q