UK PM invites Modi for G7; to visit India
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to attend the G7 summit in Cornwall. Johnson will also visit India ahead of the summit, due to be held in June, a statement read. The British PM was earlier scheduled to visit India for the country's 72nd Republic Day on January 26, however, he had to cancel his plans last minute.
The G7 is a grouping of the world's seven leading democratic economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States. The group will discuss global issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and open trade. India has been invited to the summit, the first in-person meet in almost two years, along with Australia and South Korea.
According to the statement, Johnson will use the summit to ask leaders to "seize the opportunity to build back better from coronavirus, uniting to make the future fairer, greener, and more prosperous." Australia, India, and South Korea have been invited to "deepen the expertise and experience around the table." The statement highlighted that the UK and India have worked closely throughout the pandemic.
The statement read, "India already supplies more than 50% of the world's vaccines, and the UK and India have worked closely together throughout the pandemic. Our Prime Ministers speak regularly and Prime Minister Johnson has said he will visit India ahead of the G7."
The statement also quoted the UK PM as saying, "Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced." "It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future," he added.
Johnson was set to attend India's Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. However, he canceled his plans to deal with the COVID-19 situation at home, where a new strain of the coronavirus has taken hold, forcing millions under a fresh lockdown. Due to the mutant strain, India had suspended air travel with the UK, which has since resumed in a regulated manner.
