German Chancellor declines Trump's invitation to attend G7 summit in the US
(Baonghean) - AFP on May 30 quoted Politico as saying that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not personally attend the G7 leaders summit that US President Donald Trump said he would host despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
Leaders of the G7 group of countries chaired by the US this year are scheduled to meet via video conference at the end of June after the Covid-19 pandemic affected plans to hold the meeting in person at Camp David, the US President's retreat in Maryland.
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| German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to directly attend the G7 summit in the US. Photo: AFP |
However, last week President Trump said he might hold the important gathering after all, “primarily at the White House” but possibly also some of it at Camp David. German Chancellor Merkel has said no.
Accordingly, Politico quoted German Government spokesman Steffen Seibert as saying: "To date, considering the general situation regarding the pandemic, she cannot agree to personally attend a trip to Washington. The German Federal Chancellor thanks President Trump for inviting her to the G7 summit."
The 65-year-old Prime Minister is the second oldest G7 leader after Mr. Trump (73). Their advanced age puts them at a higher risk of contracting the Corona virus.
For its part, the White House said it is putting this major diplomatic event back on the agenda, as a "show of strength" as world economies gradually recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic.
It is known that Mrs. Merkel is the first head of state to refuse to attend the upcoming conference, while other world leaders have expressed positive but still quite vague reactions.
Earlier, on May 29, the White House said that Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had spoken and "agreed on the importance of holding an in-person G5 Summit in the near future."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who hosted the 2018 summit, said any in-person gathering would have to prioritize safety, while a French presidential office official said Emmanuel Macron was “willing to go to Camp David if health conditions allow.”
European Council President Charles Michel, through his spokesman, also said he would attend “if health conditions allow”.
The G7 countries - including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - take turns hosting the annual summit. In 2019, the G7 summit took place in France.
