Blinken to attend G7 meeting in Italy, US State Department says

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(Corrects first paragraph to make clear G7 meeting scheduled for next week)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will travel to Italy over the weekend to attend a meeting of the Group of Seven major democracies next week, the State Department said on Friday, amid rising tensions in the war in Ukraine.

G7 leaders last Saturday reiterated a pledge to keep imposing severe costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine through sanctions, export controls and other measures, and vowed to support Kyiv for as long as it takes.

The State Department said Blinken would discuss issues including “conflicts in the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Indo-Pacific security, and the ongoing crises in both Haiti and Sudan” at the gathering in Italy.

During his Nov. 23-27 trip, Blinken also plans to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican following the G7 talks, it said in a statement.

Italy holds the 2024 rotating presidency of the G7, which also includes the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Britain.

(Reporting by Doina ChiacuEditing by Gareth Jones)