WASHINGTON, November 19. /TASS/. The House of Representatives of the US Congress on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at preventing Russia from participating in the G7 meetings and restoring the G8 format with Russia’s participation.

This document includes a ban on the use of federal funds by the Washington administration for supporting or facilitating Russia's participation in the G7 meetings and the restoration of the G8 with the participation of the Russian Federation.

According to the bill, this measure should cease to operate only after the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, if there are necessary grounds, can assure lawmakers that Russia, has stopped any interference in elections in the United States or in other G7 countries, NATO and EU states, fulfills its obligations under the Minsk Agreements in full, stopped "occupation of Crimea, … South Ossetia and Abkhazia", and withdrew its troops and weapons from Transnistria.

Now the initiative will have to be considered by the US Senate, where the majority now belongs to the Republicans. If the bill is approved by the upper house, it will go to the head of state for signature.

G7 is an association of economically developed countries, which includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, the United States, France, and Japan. In 1975, the club held its first meeting held in France with the UK, West Germany, Italy, the United States, France, and Japan.

The club existed in the "seven" format from 1976 to 1997. After Russia joined, it became the Group of Eight (G8). In March 2014, after the events in Ukraine and the ensuing crisis in relations between the United States and Europe with Russia, the Western members of the association, during President Barack Obama's presidential term in Washington, decided to return to the G7 format.