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German FM expects G7 efforts to promote int'l cooperation

Xinhua, June 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday that he expected the upcoming G7 summit meeting would promote international cooperation in areas such as the fight against diseases and epidemics.

In an interview with German newspaper Neue Osnabruecker, Steinmeier said it was "good and right" for the economically strong countries to meet with each other "in a world full of crises."

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, will be meeting at Schloss Elmau in the German state of Bavaria on June 7 and 8.

"I hope that there will be agreements concerning international cooperation to combat diseases and epidemics in the poorer regions of the world, especially in Africa," said Steinmeier about his expectations for the G7 summit.

With respect to ties with Russia, the minister said "we cannot simply return to business as usual" in the light of the Ukraine conflict, stressing at the same time Russia's role in helping solve conflicts.

"We shall have no interest in keeping the G8 as a G7 format permanently. On the contrary, we need Russia urgently in solving stalled conflicts in our neighborhood such as Syria, Iraq, Libya as well as the Iranian nuclear issue," he went on to say.

Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7. Besides traditional economic, foreign and security issues, the agenda of the upcoming Elmau summit would also focus on global environment and health issues, according to the German government. Enditem