Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi arrives at the prime minister's official residence for the attestation ceremony of the cabinet by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, on Nov. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

       LONDON (Kyodo) -- A face-to-face meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations will be held in Liverpool next month, the British government said Monday.

       Britain, which holds the forum's rotating presidency this year, will invite countries from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the first time to a G-7 foreign ministers' meeting.

       The gathering will take place for three days from Dec. 10 in a sign of Britain's "growing Indo-Pacific tilt," its government said in a press release.

       Welcoming the decision, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a Tokyo press conference Monday the invitation extended to ASEAN countries demonstrates Britain's "willingness to strengthen its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region," where China is increasing its clout.

       The foreign and development ministers from the G-7 nations will discuss a range of global issues, including economic resilience in the post-COVID era, global health and human rights, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.

       Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in the press release the ministers will "discuss how we build closer economic, technology and security ties globally."

       "I want us to build a worldwide network of liberty that advances freedom, democracy and enterprise and encourages like-minded countries to work together from a position of strength," Truss added.

       Japan is planning to send Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to the meeting comprised of representatives from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

       Meanwhile, the central Japan city of Nagoya declared Monday its bid to host the 2023 G-7 summit at the Nagoya Congress Center. The move came after the Fukuoka prefectural and city governments in southwestern Japan also announced a bid in October.

       Holding the event will earn Nagoya "international recognition and improve the brand image of the city," said Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura at a press conference.

       The annual G-7 summit is organized by the country that holds the rotating presidency, with Japan last hosting it in 2016 in Mie Prefecture.

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