German chancellor says G20 still important despite key absences -Deutschlandfunk

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the upcoming G20 summit in India remains important despite the absence of Russia and China, in an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk released late on Friday.

The G20 still has an important contribution to make and a "big damn obligation" to fulfil, said Scholz, particularly as BRICS - a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - grows in significance.

Scholz, the leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), also said countries with a colonial history had a responsibility to enable development in former colonies.

The chancellor offered to help former colonies exploit and process their natural resources in what he called "fair partnerships."

(Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)