German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday she was disappointed by US President Donald Trump’s decision not to sign the final statement of the G7 summit in Canada, TASS reports.
Earlier in the day, the US leader tweeted that he had instructed his representatives not to sign the statement, hours after the summit’s host, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, announced all countries had supported it.
"The refusal [to sign the communique], expressed in a twitter message, is, of course, disappointing and a bit discouraging" the ARD TV quoted the German chancellor as saying.
Merkel reiterated Berlin’s full support for the document, adding that the statement "has been approved, and its legitimacy is out of question."
She added that Berlin would continue its dialogue with the United States despite difficulties.
"There is no reason for us not to talk to each other, but this is going to be difficult," Merkel said, adding that her dialogue with Trump will continue during the NATO summit in Brussels in July.
She said Trump’s move underlined the need for greater cooperation within the European Union.
"This has solidified my belief that we, Europeans, should decide our fate by ourselves," the German leader said, calling on EU to be more active in defending its values and principles.
At the same time, she stressed that the current differences does not mean the end of the trans-Atlantic partnership.