G7 continues to exclude Russia, German businesses protest.

The Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations maintain its position of excluding Russia from next week's summit, while two German business groups are calling for an end to these sanctions.

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

Russian representatives were not invited to the G7 summit taking place on June 7-8 in Bavaria, Germany. This is the second year Moscow has been excluded due to the crisis in eastern Ukraine, according to Reuters.

The G7's boycott of Russia is one of the sanctions imposed by the West, accusing Moscow of supporting rebels in eastern Ukraine with both weapons and personnel, exacerbating the crisis there. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will chair the G7 meeting, with representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, and Japan also in attendance.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of the European Union (EU) criticizing Russia on May 30 for announcing a list banning 89 politicians from the region from entering the country, a retaliatory measure from Moscow.

However, two German business groups argue that the G7 should invite Russia to the upcoming meeting. Eckhard Cordes, chairman of the East German Committee on Economic Relations, which represents around 200 companies investing in Russia, said that preventing Moscow from attending the meeting would be "a missed opportunity."

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

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

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

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

According to Vnexpress