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German opposition politicians want to see Russia at G7 summit in Canada

Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries will meet in Toronto on Sunday

TASS, April 22. Opposition politicians in Germany want Russia to be invited to the G7 summit in Canada in early June, DPA agency reported on Sunday.

"If the West really intends to re-enter into constructive dialogue with Russia, this is an appropriate case. The G7 should become the G8 again," Sahra Wagenknecht, German left wing politician told DPA.

According to the deputy head of the parliamentary faction of the Federal Democratic Party Alexander Lambsdorff, who is responsible for foreign policy issues in the party, now it makes sense to stabilize the dialogue with Russia. "G7 + 1 can be a suitable format," the politician said.

On Sunday, a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries will take place in Toronto. Canada. Representatives of Ukraine are invited for the first time.

Wagenknecht and Lambsdorff believe that the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov should have also been invited to this meeting.

"At the meeting at the highest level [in June] Russia should definitely be at the negotiating table. Because peace in Europe and the Middle East is possible only with the participation of Russia," Wagenknecht said.

"If we say that Russia should again participate in this [G7 format], then this obviously applies to all levels of [negotiations], including the summits," Lambsdorf added.

In late March, head of the Federal Democratic Party Christian Lindner already suggested that the G7 should resume dialogue with Russia in the G7 + 1 format. However, in mid-April, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that the return to the G8 format with the participation of Russia is not possible yet.

The next summit of the Group of Seven will be held on June 8-9 in the resort town of La Malbecue (the Charlevoix region, the Canadian province of Quebec). Previously, Lavrov said that Moscow "does not cling" to the G8 format.

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