Russia requires implementation of Minsk Agreements to rejoin G7: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said, Russia cannot return to the Group of Seven (G7) till there is a progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements on resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

Merkel's statement came on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada's La Malbaie.

"We have discussed Russia's participation. In my view, there is a need for significant progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements so for now I don't see any possibility of Russia's participation," TASS quoted Merkel as saying.

United States President Donald Trump earlier called for bringing Russia back to the G7. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also backed Trump. But the idea was opposed by the European Council President Donald Tusk saying that the G7 should remain unchanged.

G7 comprises seven large economies in the world. It includes Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and the United States.

In 1997, Russia joined the group, making it the G8. In 2014, Russia was removed from the group in light of events in Ukraine and a crisis in relations between Russia and the West.