LONDON (Kyodo) -- Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations started a two-day meeting Saturday in Liverpool, England, with the world's leading democracies increasingly confronted by such authoritarian governments as China and Russia.

       The top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union, will likely discuss issues ranging from ways to ensure a post-pandemic global economic recovery to the U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in China.

       For the first time, the G-7 foreign chiefs will be joined by their counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, except for Myanmar which has been thrown into political turmoil following the military's February coup. They are expected to discuss China's maritime aggression in the region during a session on Sunday.

       Britain, which holds this year's G-7 presidency, has also invited Australia, South Korea and India to expanded sessions in a bid to enhance their cooperation in areas including national security and measures to address the coronavirus pandemic amid growing concerns about the Omicron variant of the virus.

       "This weekend the world's most influential democracies will take a stand against aggressors who seek to undermine liberty and send a clear message that we are a united front," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a press release issued ahead of the meeting.

       The G-7 talks come after dozens of world leaders rallied behind calls by the United States to uphold democracy and human rights in a two-day virtual summit hosted by President Joe Biden through Friday.

       Washington has urged Beijing to address concerns over its alleged human rights abuses and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, while Western nations have also been at loggerheads with Moscow over Russia's military buildup near the Ukraine border.

       The ministers may also exchange views on diplomatic responses to the Beijing Olympics in February.

       Australia, Britain and Canada have already sided with the United States in deciding not to send senior government officials to the Olympics, while France has said it will send high-level officials to the event. Japan has yet to decide on the issue.

       On the sidelines of the G-7 meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held bilateral talks with Britain and will also do so with other countries including the United States. Hayashi made his diplomatic debut after taking up his post last month.

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