Rubio leaves for G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris; agenda includes superintelligence, Iran, Ukraine
Washington
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio left on November 8 (local time) for Paris, France, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting. Before departing, Rubio told reporters that the agenda for the meeting was set by host country France and that superintelligence, the Middle East and Iran, and Ukraine would be covered. The meeting runs from November 9 to 10.
The State Department announced on November 6 that Rubio's trip to France would run from November 8 to 10.
Source: State Department, announcement of Secretary Rubio's travel to France
Departure on the 8th and an X post
On departing, Rubio wrote on X: "Departing for France to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting." He also wrote: "Global security demands decisive action, and the United States will press for greater burden sharing from our partners to address global crises and counter instability worldwide."
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2119563798503973365
France set the agenda
In remarks to reporters at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida, Rubio said France had put together an agenda for the meeting. He named superintelligence and global conflicts as agenda items, with the global conflicts including the Middle East and Iran. Rubio said he expected France to have many questions about the situation in the Middle East as it relates to Iran.
Ukraine will also come up. Rubio said Ukraine would be discussed because Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is attending the meeting.
Four priorities of the French foreign ministry
On November 6, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs set out four priorities for the meeting. It is the second official two-day foreign ministers' meeting under the French presidency. The ministers will coordinate positions on the international situation, in particular on resolving crises, and take stock of progress since the foreign ministers' meeting held in Vaux-de-Cernay in March.
The first is resolving crises and responding to the major challenges of today. The ministers will discuss support for Ukraine in capabilities, funding and energy; stabilization of the Middle East and the diversification and stability of energy supplies; Sudan; the Horn of Africa; Venezuela; Cuba; Haiti; and the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific founded on the rule of law. The French ministry said the aim is to build a convergence of views among partners so as to respond to crises jointly.
The second is strengthening maritime and port security against drug trafficking. The "G7+ Ports Network," announced at the Evian summit in June, will hold its first meeting in Marseille at the same time as the foreign ministers' meeting. The network is intended to let members exchange best practices for protecting the ports of the G7 and partner countries from drug trafficking.
The third is making humanitarian aid more effective. The ministers will discuss more efficient humanitarian supply chains and food security and nutrition, with World Food Programme Executive Director Luke J. Lindberg in attendance.
The fourth is making artificial intelligence (AI) safer. The French ministry said that the acceleration of advanced AI models is changing the global strategic environment, and that the G7 should come up with a joint response that protects innovation while ensuring the safe development and deployment of AI. The discussion builds on G7 coordination work begun at the Evian summit in June and at the UN Security Council in September.
Source: French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, priorities of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting
Iran joint statement from the March Vaux-de-Cernay meeting
At the first official foreign ministers' meeting, held March 26-27 at the Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey in France, G7 foreign ministers discussed Iran and the situation in the Middle East. The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued a joint statement on Iran on March 27.
In the statement, the ministers called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and said that deliberate attacks on civilians and attacks on diplomatic facilities during armed conflict cannot be justified. They stressed "the absolute necessity" of permanently restoring safe, toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and the law of the sea. The ministers also said they had focused on the value of coordination and cooperation to mitigate global economic shocks such as disruptions to energy, fertilizer and commercial supply chains.
When he left for France for the March meeting, Rubio also wrote on X: "Heading to France for the G7 Foreign Affairs Ministerial to meet with world leaders about the security concerns we share around the world and opportunities to address the situation in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war."
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2037320598402334744
During the March 27 meeting, Rubio wrote on X: "Today at the G7 I reiterated that President Trump is committed to reaching a ceasefire and negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible."
https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2037508659433836986
On March 26, the State Department posted on X remarks Rubio made about the G7. Rubio said: "I don't work for France or Germany or Japan. I get along with all of them on a personal level and we work with those governments very carefully. But the people I'm interested in making happy are the people of the United States. I work for them."
https://x.com/StateDept/status/2037239875531907378
Ahead of the March meeting, the French ministry said that on Iran and the Middle East the ministers would seek a negotiating path to ease tensions and promote civilian safety, the reopening of maritime and trade routes, and an end to the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. On Ukraine, it said they would reaffirm energy and capability support and increase pressure on Russia's shadow fleet. The French ministry also said at the time that Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Korea, India and Ukraine were taking part in the G7 foreign ministers' work.
Invited countries and the Chernobyl donors' conference
France has invited Brazil, Egypt, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine to the meeting. The French ministry said these countries have actively contributed to the discussions and deliverables of the French presidency since early this year.
On November 9 in Paris, France will hold a donors' conference with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ukrainian authorities to fund repairs to the Chernobyl protective arch. The arch was heavily damaged by a Russian attack in 2025. G7 partners have already pledged support for an international fundraising effort for the repairs.
France has said it wants to make its G7 presidency this year a "presidency of balance, convergence and results," responding to the major challenges of the era through concrete projects. The French ministry also listed concrete results of this year's presidency. To make humanitarian aid more effective, it began mapping humanitarian stockpiles worldwide; in May in Paris it held the "No Money For Terror" conference on identifying, tracing and cutting off terrorist financing; and in July in Martinique it held a Caribbean regional security conference to step up the response to drug trafficking. In all these areas, France says it intends to deliver visible results that improve the security and prosperity of G7 countries.
At the March meeting, France had also said it would push for a regional conference to counter trafficking of Captagon, a synthetic drug from Syria, and would discuss securing critical minerals supply chains.
Rubio's schedule on the 9th
The State Department's public schedule for the 9th includes a G7 group photo, a working lunch on crises and international challenges, and bilateral meetings with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. At 3:30 p.m. local time he attends a G7 session on superintelligence. He will meet French President Emmanuel Macron with the press excluded. The State Department said the schedule is subject to change.
Source: State Department, public schedule for November 9
Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson are accompanying Rubio on the Paris trip.
Four themes set out by Japan's foreign minister
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on X on the 7th that he is traveling to Paris through the 11th. Motegi wrote that at this G7 meeting he plans to hold candid discussions with G7 foreign ministers centered on four themes: how to secure and restore stability in the Middle East; how to support Ukraine; regional situations including the Indo-Pacific; and responses to challenges surrounding AI, including international cooperation against cyberattacks. He said he will also hold bilateral foreign ministers' meetings between sessions.
https://x.com/moteging/status/2119180050662850759
Likely the last foreign ministers' meeting under the French presidency
Rubio said this is likely to be the last G7 foreign ministers' meeting under the French presidency. He said the United States will host the foreign ministers' meeting next year.
Sources (KST)
- U.S. State Department · 2026-11-06(local) 2026-11-07(KST) · Secretary Rubio's Travel to France · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/11/secretary-rubios-travel-to-france-2/
- U.S. State Department · 2026-11-08(local) 2026-11-09(KST) · Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to the Press · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/11/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-the-press-21/
- U.S. State Department · 2026-11-09(local) · Public Schedule · https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/11/public-schedule-november-9-2026
- French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs · 2026-11-06 · Priorities of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Paris · https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/quelles-priorites-pour-la-reunion-des-ministres-des-affaires-etrangeres-du-g7-a-paris
- French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs · 2026-03-27 · Joint Statement of G7 Foreign Ministers on Iran · https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/declaration-conjointe-des-ministres-des-affaires-etrangeres-du-g7-sur-l-iran
- French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs · 2026-03-25 · G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay · https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/reunion-des-ministres-des-affaires-etrangeres-des-vaux-de-cernay
- Secretary of State X @SecRubio @SecRubio · 2026-03-27 · https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2037320598402334744
- Secretary of State X @SecRubio @SecRubio · 2026-03-27 · https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2037508659433836986
- State Department X @StateDept @StateDept · 2026-03-26 · https://x.com/StateDept/status/2037239875531907378
- Secretary of State X @SecRubio @SecRubio · 2026-11-08 · https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2119563798503973365
- Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi X @moteging @moteging · 2026-11-07 · https://x.com/moteging/status/2119180050662850759