The G7 warned Friday of risks to global trade and economic growth if Britain left the EU.
“A U.K. exit from the EU would reverse the trend towards greater global trade and investment, and the jobs they create, and is a further serious risk to growth,” according to the final statement from the summit of the Group of Seven major economies in Japan.
The warning against Brexit was added to the final statement at the last minute, according to the Guardian. The newspaper reported that it was not included in a draft of the document, submitted on Thursday night.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Brexit was not discussed at the summit.
“It was no subject here. But there was the signal that all who sat here want Britain to stay part of the EU,” she said.
The G7 also warned about the impact of armed conflicts and global threat of terrorism.
“The rise of violent extremism, terrorist attacks and other challenges, pose a serious threat to the existing rule-based international order, as well as to common values and principles for all humanity,” the statement said.
G7 consists of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.