The summit of the group of seven industrialized countries in the world popularly known as the G-7 has extended its invitation to Nigeria’s President- elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to attend the next meeting scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany, on May 8 and 9.
The G-7 invitation was conveyed to Buhari by the German ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Zenner, during his congratulatory visit to Buhari on Monday at the Defence House in Abuja.
The summit of the G-7 group is currently chaired by German Chancellor, Angela Merkel while the countries that make up the G-7 are United States, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada.
If Buhari accepts the invitation, it will be his first major international outing as the country’s president-elect and would open doors of opportunity to reach-out to the more prosperous nations for collaborative engagements.
Speaking on the bilateral relations between his country and Nigeria, Zenner said Germany is interested in stepping up investment in the energy sector and assisting with checkmating the threat of insecurity.
“I am here to congratulate the President elect, Buhari on his election and handed over to him the letter from the German Chancellor inviting him to Germany.
“We have a very deep and intense relationship with Nigeria and there are lot of areas where we can deepen our relation and develop them further such as in the area of economy, energy among others.
“We have a bi-national commission with Nigeria and we are one of the countries with which Nigeria has this Bi-National Commission and it covers the whole range of political, economic and security areas. There are many areas in which we can move further and deepen our very close cooperation,” he said.
The President- elect also got assurances from the France ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauer that French government will do more to assist in eliminating Boko Haram and all other terrorists groups in the West African sub- region.
Gauer who also extended an invitation to Buhari to visit France, expressed the readiness of French companies to increase investment in the country and to establish more partnership deals with their Nigerian counterparts.
“Our relationship also developed in the area of security. Boko Haram has become a major threat not only to Nigeria, but to neighbouring countries.
“Since the special summit in Paris in May last year, France has worked a lot to perfect cooperation and collaboration among countries in the region and also work with the Nigerian Armed Forces especially in exchange of information and to contribute to the common fight against the terrorist threat.
“I expressed our willingness to continue in the same direction, with the same objective to eliminate that terrorist threat in Nigeria and in the region.
I also passed a copy of the letter from the French president in which he invited him to France as soon as it will be possible for him,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Canadian High Commissioner to,Nigeria , Perry John Calderwood who also paid a congeatulatory visit to Buhari promised to improve ties in the areas of agriculture, mining, renewable energy, infrastructure where Canadian companies have great expertise. [myad]
