The trouble with the rat race is that even if you
win, you’re still a rat. -Lily Tomlin:
Merkel, Cameron to skip Rio+20 meet
BRAZIL: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister
David Cameron will not attend next month’s Rio conference on sustainable
development, their respective embassies said here Monday.
Merkel had received a personal invitation from Brazilian President
Dilma Rousseff but she telephoned Rousseff to inform her that Berlin
would be represented at the June 20-22 summit by Environment Minister
Norbert Rottgen and Development Minister Dirk Niebel, the German embassy
said. It did not say why Merkel could not attend. The British embassy,
meanwhile, said Cameron would also stay away and London would be
represented by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
The summit’s dates had been altered so they would not coincide with
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and thus make if
possible for Cameron and other world leaders to attend.
There is no word so far on whether US President Barack Obama will
show up although observers and non-governmental organizations say
privately he was unlikely to do so given that he will be busy
campaigning for his re-election.
The European Union said through its mission here that its president,
Jose Manuel Barroso, would attend the summit.
AFP |