PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2019) KAMCHATSKY, December 22 (Sputnik) - The Group of Seven (G7) has no decision-making power and Russia's return to it is seen in the West as a way to quarrel it with China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday.
Lavrov was welcomed to the White House on Tuesday for talks with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"It was discussed during the talks in Washington. Understandably, I cannot disclose the details. When the idea of bringing Russia back to the G7 to renew the G8 was floated most analysts linked it to attempts to push Russia away from China. This format is nonrepresentational. It decides nothing on its own," Lavrov told Channel One's Big Game show.
The United States will host the next summit from June 10-12. The group also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom plus the European Union.
President Trump suggested at this year's G7 summit in France that he might invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the meeting, after Russia was expelled from what used to be G8 following its reunification with Crimea.
