Boris Johnson invites PM Modi to G7 meet in June

New Delhi/Jan,17: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Sunday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be part of the G7 meeting, which will be chaired by the UK from June 13-15. “The G7 Summit will be held in Carbis Bay, Cornwall on 11-13 June 2021. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the UK’s G7 Presidency to unite leading democracies to help the world fight, and then build back better from coronavirus and create a greener, more prosperous future. The UK has invited Australia, India and South Korea as guest countries to this year’s G7,” a statement read.
Talking about the G-7 meeting, Johnson, who will welcome fellow G7 leaders to one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, said, “As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face. From cancelling developing world debt to our universal condemnation of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the world has looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet.”“With over 400 miles of coastline, Cornwall’s stunning landscape provides a perfect setting for world leaders to come together and discuss how to respond to global challenges like coronavirus and climate change. The Summit will also provide the best of Cornish hospitality for leaders, delegates and the world’s media. It will involve the whole of Cornwall, boosting local businesses and showcasing this unique part of the UK to the world,” the statement further read.
Johnson, who was invited as a Chief Guest at the Republic Day Celebrations in India this year, had telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed “regret” that he would not be able to visit India in view of the fresh national lockdown in his country, as his government responded to the new, more contagious mutant strain of the novel coronavirus. Indian government sources said Modi “conveyed his understanding of the exceptional situation and hoped that the UK would overcome Covid challenges successfully”.
Last year, Donald Trump had deferred the 46th G-7, saying, “I’m postponing it because I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world.” The summit was scheduled to be held through June 10-12 at Camp David in the US. In 2019, the G-7 summit was held on August 24-26 at Biarritz in southwestern France, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to attend as a special guest of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues. Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began attending in 1977.Initially formed as an effort by the US and its allies to discuss economic issues, the G-7 forum has deliberated about several challenges over the decades, such as the oil crashes of the 1970s, the economic changeover of ex-Soviet bloc nations, and many pressing issues such as financial crises, terrorism, arms control, and drug trafficking.The G-7 was known as the ‘G-8’ for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.