German leader hits out at 'isolationism'

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged world leaders to assume more responsibility in addressing climate change, terrorism and other international problems on Thursday.

Merkel was speaking ahead of a G20 summit scheduled for Hamburg next week.

Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Merkel warned against what she called isolationist and protectionist tendencies.

“Someone who believes that the world’s problems can be solved with isolationism and protectionism, makes an enormous mistake,” she said -- an indirect criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Merkel called for international cooperation and multilateralism, to find solutions to major global challenges, which she identified as terrorism, climate change and protectionist tendencies.

“My goal is to deliver a strong message from the summit, in which leaders of the G20 would recognize their huge responsibility for the world, and assume their responsibility,” she said.

The German Chancellor will host leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies at the Hamburg summit between July 7 and 8.

Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be among the attendees at the two-day event.