Slutsky: Russia's return to G8 is not an end in itself

Chairman of the Russian State Duma (lower house) Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky said that Russia’s return to the G8 is not an end in itself.

"We are not rejecting any kind of formats, but returning to the G8 is not a goal in and of itself," the official stressed, when commenting on remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"If Russia indeed receives an invitation to take part in the 2020 summit, it should build on the specific agenda and how equal rights for all parties will be guaranteed. All that should not boil down to some ceremonial actions amid the aggressive anti-Russian policy of sanctions pursued by the G7," TASS cited him as saying.

He recalled that other multilateral forms of interaction, such as BRICS and the G20, "where Moscow plays a substantial role," began developing intensively after Russia’s departure from the G8.

The chairman of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee said that "Trump’s idea to revive the G8 proves once again that Russia plays an important role on the global stage." "The G7’s steps aimed at containing and isolating Russia failed to yield any results. Both the U.S. and French presidents recognize that," Slutsky pointed out.