Saturday, June 1, 2024
ADVT 
National

Despite pandemic, Trump muses about resuming plan for in-person G7 meetings

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 May, 2020 07:23 PM
  • Despite pandemic, Trump muses about resuming plan for in-person G7 meetings

Donald Trump is contemplating whether to resurrect plans to host G7 leaders at the Camp David presidential retreat next month.

The U.S. president tweeted Wednesday about holding the meeting on or near the original June 10-12 timeline at the famous rural retreat, which is in Maryland about an hour's drive north of the U.S. capital.

"Now that our Country is 'Transitioning back to Greatness,' I am considering rescheduling the G7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David," Trump wrote.

"The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all — normalization!"

With the U.S. scheduled to play host to the annual G7 this year, the administration's original plan to host the gathering at the Trump-owned Doral golf resort in Miami was abandoned last fall after critics accused the president of seeking to profit off the meeting.

But the subsequent plan to move the meeting to Camp David was initially thwarted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed support Wednesday for the notion of G7 leaders sharing ideas, even if he was noncommittal about meeting in person. The group did gather for a videoconference call last month, he noted before suggesting science and prudence should determine the best course of action going forward.

"We're going to need to keep talking about not just how we get through this COVID-19 pandemic, but how we restore the global economy to its rightful activities," Trudeau said.

"We'll certainly take a look at what the U.S. is proposing as host of the G7 to see what kind of measures will be in place to keep people safe, what kind of recommendations the experts are giving in terms of how that might function."

Security experts, however, say it's hard to believe an in-person meeting in June would be feasible.

"I don't, nor do I think many other leaders would come," said Brett Bruen, a former diplomat and White House adviser under former president Barack Obama.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban; PM not yet ready to consider future plan

Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban; PM not yet ready to consider future plan
Justin Trudeau says it's still too early for Canada to confront the challenges that will come with reopening the shared border with the United States. The prime minister says with the ban still in effect for another week, he's not ready to announce an extension just yet.

Canada wants to extend U.S. travel ban; PM not yet ready to consider future plan

Health coalition says use of private clinics won't cure B.C.'s surgical backlog

Health coalition says use of private clinics won't cure B.C.'s surgical backlog
A coalition of public health-care advocates is calling on the British Columbia government to ease a COVID-19-caused surgical backlog through publicly funded solutions, not private clinics. The BC Health Coalition is concerned the province's Surgical Renewal Plan could escalate the use of for-profit surgical clinics.

Health coalition says use of private clinics won't cure B.C.'s surgical backlog

Charges laid against two men as Vancouver police probe surge in break-ins

Charges laid against two men as Vancouver police probe surge in break-ins
VANCOUVER - Two men face a total of 70 separate charges and Vancouver police say the arrests will likely have a significant effect on the number of commercial break-ins across the city.

Charges laid against two men as Vancouver police probe surge in break-ins

Canada gives $790M to help vaccinate in more vulnerable countries

Canada gives $790M to help vaccinate in more vulnerable countries
Canada will put $790 million toward vaccinating the world's more vulnerable populations and distributing a COVID-19 vaccine around the world, if an effective one is discovered, International Development Minister Karina Gould announced Tuesday.

Canada gives $790M to help vaccinate in more vulnerable countries

Trudeau promises 'stronger measures' for screening at Canada-U.S. border

Trudeau promises 'stronger measures' for screening at Canada-U.S. border
The federal government is planning stronger measures to deal with a looming influx of people arriving from the United States, a clear sign Canada is bracing for the realities of life after lockdown while living next door to the world's largest COVID-19 hotspot.

Trudeau promises 'stronger measures' for screening at Canada-U.S. border

Feds unveil new COVID-19 stream for provincial infrastructure program

Feds unveil new COVID-19 stream for provincial infrastructure program
The federal government is preparing to spend more than $3 billion in infrastructure money on projects to make facilities more pandemic-resistant and encourage outdoor activities in the age of COVID-19, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna says.

Feds unveil new COVID-19 stream for provincial infrastructure program