Trump to host G7 via video link

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will cancel an in-person meeting of G7 leaders at Camp David in June because of the coronavirus and will hold a videoconference instead, the White House said on Thursday.

The decision comes as nations around the world seal their borders and ban travel to stop the virus’ spread.

Mr Trump held a videoconference with the leaders of the world’s major industrialised countries earlier this week and plans to repeat that in April, May and June, when the physical meeting at the presidential retreat in Maryland was scheduled to take place.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who also serves as Trump’s G7 “sherpa”, has informed his counterparts about the move.

“In order for each country to focus all of its resources on responding to the health and economic challenges of Covid-19 and at President Trump’s direction, National Economic Council Director and US Sherpa for the 2020 G7 Larry Kudlow has informed his Sherpa colleagues that the G7 Leaders’ Summit the US was set to host in June at Camp David will now be done by video-teleconference,” White House spokesman Judd Deere told Reuters.

Mr Trump had intended to focus the G7 meeting on the economy, eschewing traditional topics that often top the agenda such as climate change. The G7 is made up of the US, Italy, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Britain as well as the European Union.

Mr Trump irritated Europe by instituting a travel ban on its citizens without first alerting European leaders.