His opinion was fully echoed by ex-Education Minister Klaus von Dohnanyi from the Social Democratic Party and by former Bavarian Prime Minister
Edmund Stoiber from the Christian-Social Union Party.
Edmund Stoiber said Russia’s expulsion from G8 was a mistake because key global issues cannot be discussed without Russia.
“There is no way you can possibly resolve the Syrian crisis without Russia’s participation. Neither can you the Iranian problem,” Stoiber underscored.
Klaus von Dohnanyi said he thought this idea should be put across to the other members of the “western camp” located “west of Germany”.
“We need to tell them loud and clear that problems are not resolved by shutting off someone simply because his opinion is not shared by the rest,” he added.
The G7 summit will be held at Elmau Castle in the Bavarian Alps from May 7 through 8.
The Group of Eight reverted to its original G7 format in 2014 when, in the wake of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the leaders of the Group of
Seven industrialized nations decided to stay away from their planned summit in Sochi and, instead, met in Brussels without Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov then said that no one had actually excluded Russia from the G8.
“The G8 is an informal club, no one gives out membership cards and no one can expel members”, he added.
The G7 comprises leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States.
Russia was suspended from being a part of the G8 group last year amid tensions over Crimea.
