Japan told G7 it was watching markets with high sense of urgency

TOKYO, March 30 (Reuters) - Japan told its G7 counterparts it was watching market moves with a very high sense of urgency as oil futures fluctuations were affecting currency moves and having dire effects on people's livelihoods, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Monday.

"The likelihood of oil price rises and supply concerns affecting markets and economic growth has increased," she said after attending an online meeting of G7 finance leaders, central bank chiefs and energy ministers.

"As such, we agreed that we cannot let this drag on," she said of the Middle East conflict and the subsequent surge in oil prices.