G7 summit will likely take place after election: Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump said the G7 Summit will likely take place after the November election, once again postponing the annual gathering after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans for it to be held earlier this year.

Addressing reporters at the White House on Monday, the President said that the White House had invited "a number of people" and that some have already accepted his invitation, reports Politico news.

"I'm much more inclined to do it sometime after the election," he said.

"We're going to be doing it after the election. I think it's a better atmosphere to have a G7... I think it's a lot, I think it's just a better, calmer atmosphere to have a G7."

In May, the President had announced that he was postponing the G7 leaders' summit, adding it was "outdated" and that he would like to invite more countries to the meeting, including India.

He said then that the summit could be held over the weekend just before or after the UN General Assembly, which is scheduled to start on September 15, or after the US presidential election in November.

Trump added that he would like to see more countries within the group made up of the US, Japan, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Germany.

He said he wanted to invite India, Australia, Russia, and South Korea to the meeting, and that it could be a G11 or a G10.

The G7 leaders' meeting, which the US is to host this year as it occupies the rotating presidency of the group, was scheduled from June 10-12.

Trump announced in April the cancellation of the in-person summit due to the rapid expansion and severity of the pandemic, and said it would take place virtually.

His announcement in April came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined Trump's invitation to attend the Summit.