NHK has learned that a draft of a communique to be issued by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations demands that Russia withdraw its forces from Ukraine immediately and unconditionally.

The G7 foreign ministers are scheduled to meet from April 16 in the town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan.

A draft of the communique the ministers are aiming to adopt condemns Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

The draft says the delegates remain resolved to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes.

They also call on third parties to stop supplying weapons and other assistance for Russia's war, in order to close loopholes in sanction efforts.

The draft strongly condemns Russia for using disinformation to gain support for its aggression against Ukraine. It says access to quality and trustworthy information is key, and expresses support for efforts by the United Nations and other parties.

The document says the ministers remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China seas, and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

The draft reaffirms the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

It urges China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on consular relations. The call comes after Chinese authorities last month detained a Japanese man working for a pharmaceutical firm on suspicion of espionage.

The draft also says the ministers encourage other world leaders and young people to visit the atomic bombed Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as part of efforts to realize a world without nuclear weapons.

They also express concerns for increasing threats to economic security and stress the need to enhance cooperation among the G7 countries.