News / Germany

German ministers decline Washington’s G7 summit invite: Report

Thursday, 09 July 2020 11:09 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 09 July 2020 11:09 PM ]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) arrive as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (C) sits prior to the weekly cabinet meeting on February 19, 2020 at the Chancellery in Berlin. (Photo by AFP)

Germany’s finance and foreign ministers declined an invitation to take part in a Washington gathering of ministers from the G7 group of large industrial countries, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday.

According to the magazine, Germany told the US government that it would send state secretaries to the mini-summit, planned for July 29, instead of Olaf Scholz and Heiko Maas. The magazine said other G7 countries had taken a similar decision.

Earlier, it was reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel had declined to take part in a national leaders’ level meeting in Washington, in what was widely interpreted as a snub to the administration of US President Donald Trump.