President Muhammadu Buhari will be leaving Nigeria on Sunday morning, to attend the G7 Summit that is scheduled to take place in Bavaria, Germany, from June 7 to 8, 2015.

In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, June 6, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the invitation was extended to President Buhari by German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, even before he was sworn in on May 29 as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

”The invitation is a clear indication of the international community’s willingness to cooperate with the new government of Nigeria,” he said.

He added that President Buhari would not be participating in the main meetings, since Nigeria is not a member of the G7 group.

”He is in a group of seven other Heads of State who were called in as guests. He will equally be holding key side meetings with some of the seven Heads of State who will be convened at the summit.

”The international community is obviously acknowledging Nigeria’s significant role in global affairs,” Mallam Garba said, ”especially with the recent change in government”.

The attendees at the  41st G7 summit will include the leaders of the seven G7 member states, as well as representatives of the European Union.

The G7 member states are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States.

The President of the European Commission is a permanently welcome participant in all meetings and decision-making since 1981.