Tokyo- Leaders of the Group of Seven major countries, in a joint statement to be adopted at their meeting later this month, are expected to show their intention to toughen North Korea sanctions based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions, Jiji Press learned Sunday.

The leaders from the seven nations--Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States--will also stress their readiness to support the global economic growth through trade expansion, Japanese government sources said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will on Thursday leave for Taormina, Italy, where the G-7 summit will be held for two days from Friday.

In Taormina, Abe may hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron prior to the G-7 summit, the sources said.

In the joint statement, the G-7 leaders will strongly condemn North Korea's repeated nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, and urge the reclusive country to abandon its nuclear and missile development programs, according to the sources.

Noting that the level of North Korea's treat has entered a new stage, they will call on countries to fully implement the Security Council's sanctions resolutions adopted in the past, the sources said.

The leaders will reiterate their opposition to unilateral actions that heighten tensions while showing concerns about the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, where China is expanding activities, the sources said. They will request that footholds built in the South China Sea should not be used for military purposes, the sources said.

The G-7 leaders will ask Russia to exert its influence on the administration of Syrian President Bashar Assad to help end the conflict in the Middle East country, according to the sources. (Jiji Press)