Group of Seven

Interior ministers from the group of the seven most advanced economies (G7) have adopted joint commitments on the main issues of global security, BTA reports.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva met in Tokyo today with her Japanese counterpart Tarō Kōno, the Foreign Ministry press office said. They discussed how to strengthen the bilateral political dialogue and the opportunities for increasing Bulgarian exports, attracting Japanese investments, technologies and tourists.

Trade wars, Brexit, hybrid warfare, migration, climate change. USA, China, Russia. UN, IMF, AIIB. G7, G20, 16+1 Platform. It’s almost 2019 and the European Union tries to keep the balance while seeking common answers to complex global challenges.

Escalating trade tensions are posing an increasing threat to the global economy, the head of the International Monetary Fund has warned.

"The clouds on the horizon ... are getting darker by the day," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said at a news conference in Berlin on Monday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe will implement counter-measures against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum just like Canada, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, voicing regret about President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw support for a G7 communique.

The US president made the suggestion ahead of a summit in Canada of the leaders of the high-powered group.

Russia was kicked out of what was then the G8 in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has lowered expectations about the participation of the International Monetary Fund in the Greek program and the extent of Greece's debt relief, while European Commission mission chief Declan Costello warned Athens against slowing down with reforms after the end of the program.

European officials are pinning their hopes for the lightening of the Greek debt on a last meeting that could end the impasse in talks between Germany and the International Monetary Fund. That meeting will take place off the agenda of the G7 meeting in Canada this weekend.

With Donald Trump elected to the office of president of the United States, developments are following their predetermined course, with the relationship between Washington and Berlin being sorely tested.

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to complain about a US trade deficit with Germany and his belief that the country must pay more for the NATO military alliance, AFP reported.

"We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military," he wrote. "Very bad for U.S. This will change."