France Moves G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting From Marseille to Paris at the Last Minute
Paris — France has moved a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting from Marseille to Paris at the last minute, according to three diplomats and an email seen by Reuters on November 5, a change that comes after six weeks of nationwide protests that have stretched French security forces since September.
The meeting, the second foreign ministers' session scheduled during France's G7 presidency, had been due to take place in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille on November 9-10. France informed delegations on November 4 that it would instead be held in Paris on the same dates. The French message said the change was primarily due to logistical and operational reasons, noting that the G7 meeting and the Paris Peace Forum fall in a very compressed timeframe requiring significant mobilisation of personnel, equipment, security, accommodation and transportation. France's foreign ministry confirmed the venue change to Reuters without giving further details.
The meeting involves foreign ministers including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and had been in preparation for months; last-minute changes of this kind are rare. Diplomats described the decision to Reuters as chaotic and said it would harm France's image.
The switch comes against the backdrop of six weeks of protests. A student-led protest movement that began in September has widened into broader demonstrations, with further protests taking place on November 5. On October 17, protests across multiple cities ended with looting and clashes between demonstrators and police, and Marseille was the scene of some of the worst violence. Besides France, the G7 comprises Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：法国马赛老港。原定11月9日至10日在马赛举行的七国集团外长会已被法方在最后一刻改到巴黎举行。照片：Clément Bardot，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Old Port of Marseille, France. The G7 foreign ministers' meeting set for Marseille on November 9-10 has been moved to Paris at the last minute. Photo by Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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