5 things to know as G-7 foreign ministers meet in Germany to discuss wars, piracy

LUEBECK, Germany — Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven most industrialized nations are meeting in the German city of Luebeck on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here are five things to know about the meeting of the top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States:

WHY LUEBECK?

Germany holds the G-7 presidency this year, so it gets to decide the venue. The Baltic Sea port city dates back to the 12th century. It was a major trading port for 400 years and a founding member of the Hanseatic League — a powerful alliance of commercial centers stretching across northern Europe that may be called the G-7 of its day.

"Globalization has always had a place here," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said as he welcomed his counterparts on Tuesday.

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PROTESTS

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WARS AND PIRATES

Steinmeier said the talks would cover the conflicts in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, as well as efforts to tackle extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State group.

On top of that, diplomats are planning to issue a declaration on maritime security. The Baltic coast was once teeming with pirates until the Hanseatic League cracked down on the practice in the late 14th century.

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The elephant in the room — or in this case outside the room — is Russia. The former G-8 decided last year to exclude Russia over its support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Asked Tuesday whether it would have been better to invite Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Luebeck as well, Steinmeier noted that he held a lengthy meeting with Lavrov and counterparts from France and Ukraine the night before.