BIARRITZ - U.S. President Donald
Trump said on Monday he would probably host next year's Group of
Seven summit of the major industrialised countries at one of his
own properties - the Trump National Doral golf resort near Miami
- but insisted he would not personally profit from the resort's
selection.
The G7 countries take it in turn to stage the summit, often
choosing locations that show off areas of natural beauty.
Trump said the Florida resort was a perfect choice, both due
to its size and the fact it was just a five-minute drive from
Miami airport.
"They love the location of the hotel, they also like the
fact is it right next to the airport for convenience. And it is
Miami, Doral, Miami, so it is a great area," he said during this
year's summit in the French coastal town of Biarritz.
He said a final decision had yet to be taken, but added: "We
haven't had anything that could even come close to competing
with it, especially when you look at the location."
In a news conference later on Monday, Trump said he would
not directly benefit from hosting the G7 at his golf resort,
saying: "From my standpoint, I'm not going to make any money. In
my opinion, I'm not going to make any money."
Trump has attended three G7 summits, in Italy, Canada and
France. On each occasion, the meeting has been held far from any
airport that can take his Air Force One plane, meaning he has
had to be shuttled in by helicopter or by a smaller plane.
"So many places are so far away, the drive is so long, they
need helicopters. This is somewhere you can be at within minutes
of landing," he said.
Although he did not like the fact he had to swap planes in
France, Trump praised the setup in Biarritz, at a conference
centre overlooking the Atlantic.
"We can learn from what they did here, even architecturally,
the way the rooms were set up and designed," he said.
He, however, made clear he would not produce any unexpected
guests, as France did by inviting Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif to hold talks on the sidelines of the
gathering on Saturday.
"There won't be any surprises," he said.