German Chancellor Angela Merkel refuses to attend a G7 summit in the United States in June in person, as proposed by US President Donald Trump, due to the coronavirus pandemic, AFP confirmed on Saturday spokesman for the German government.
"To date, given the general situation of the pandemic, she can not accept participation in person, a trip to Washington," said a spokesman for the German government in Berlin, confirming information from the American media online Politico.
"The Federal Chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit," he added.
Ms. Merkel, a scientist by training, is the first G7 leader (Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy) to formally decline this invitation.
The age of Merkel, 65, who is also that of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, puts her at higher than average risk compared to the Covid-19 epidemic. The United States is the first victim in the world (more than 100,000 dead and 1.7 million cases of contamination).
The White House had initially announced in mid-March that it was giving up, because of the epidemic, to bring together in person the heads of state and government of the G7 and preferred to stick to a format by videoconference.
But last week, Donald Trump announced a summit to be held in June "mostly at the White House," although some meetings could be held in the presidential residence of Camp David, in neighboring Maryland.
The Republican, who has his eye on the presidential election of November 3, wants to make a G7 summit with flesh and blood leaders the symbol of normalization he calls for, as opposed to a blockage activity that risks costing him dearly on the electoral level.
The White House said on Friday that US President and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself a coronavirus survivor, spoke to each other and "agreed on the importance of bringing together a G7 with leaders in person in the near future ”.
The initial reactions of G7 leaders to Trump's proposal had been cautious. French President Emmanuel Macron or that of the European Council, Charles Michel, said they were ready to participate "if health conditions allow it".
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed the importance of studying "the recommendations of the experts".
bfm-yap / lb