German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed on Wednesday that he will not join the next government led by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). (Photo: Xinhua/REUTERS)

    BERLIN, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed on Wednesday that he will not join the next government led by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

    "I will not be part of the next German government, definitely not," Schroeder announced at a rally of trade unionists in the western city of Hanover.

    However, the chancellor gave no indication of what he planned to do in the future.

    On Monday, the CDU and Schroeder's Social Democratic Party (SPD)announced an agreement in principle to form a grand coalition government with the CDU's leader Angela Merkel as chancellor.

    Following the September 18 elections, both Merkel and Schroeder had claimed to have a mandate to lead the country as neither the CDU nor the SPD won a majority to form a government.

    Schroeder called the SPD to make the coalition with the CDU a success, but warned that his party will not allow changes of key social and foreign policies.

    "No, we don't want German soldiers in Iraq," Schroeder told the audience, calling his opposition to the Iraq war to be written into the agreement with the CDU.

    On Monday, when asked about the direction of Germany's relations with the United States under her leadership at a press conference, Merkel said that transatlantic relations are an important issue and of interest for Germany.

    "That doesn't mean we have to agree on every issue, but there needs to be a good, trustful relationship," she added. Enditem