G7 continues to exclude Russia, German businesses protest

The Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations has maintained its stance of excluding Russia from next week's summit, while two German business groups have called for an end to the sanctions.

G7 countries continue to exclude Russia from this year's summit. Photo: Reuters

Russia has not been invited to the G7 summit in Bavaria, Germany, for the second year running due to the crisis in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The G7 boycott of Russia is one of the sanctions imposed by the West over Moscow's alleged support for rebels in eastern Ukraine with both weapons and manpower, making the crisis there worse. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will chair the G7 meeting, along with representatives from the US, UK, France, Canada, Italy and Japan.

The meeting took place in the context of the European Union (EU) on May 30 criticizing Russia for publishing a list of 89 politicians banned from entering the region, a retaliatory measure from Moscow.

However, two German business groups said the G7 should invite Russia to the upcoming meeting. Eckhard Cordes, chairman of the East German Committee on Economic Relations, which represents about 200 companies investing in Russia, said blocking Moscow from the meeting was a “missed opportunity”.

"A G7 meeting with Russia would contribute to resolving the crises and push Russia to take constructive steps in the Ukraine crisis," Cordes told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Matthias Platzeck, chairman of the German-Russian Business Forum and a senior member of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), said it was time to invite Russia back into the G7. "The problems in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and Syria can only be solved together with Russia," Platzeck said, arguing that the fight against global terrorism could be won with secret information from Russia.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier last month rejected calls to invite Russia back to the G7, saying there could be no "normalcy after Russia's annexation of Crimea" early last year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with German Chancellor Merkel on May 11, expressed his goodwill to improve relations with Western countries, although he still expressed a tough stance on the situation in Ukraine.

According to Vnexpress