New Delhi: Johnson had extended an invitation to Modi during a phone call last year when India was chosen alongside South Korea and Australia as guest countries of the multilateral summit. The invitation was made formal on Sunday.
Johnson also reiterated his plan to visit India ahead of the G7 summit, after a scheduled visit for Republic Day this month was called off due to the coronavirus crisis.
The Group of Seven or G7 – which is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – is dubbed as an open forum where the world’s most influential and open societies are brought together for close-knit discussions, with the pandemic likely to dominate this year’s talks.
“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,” Johnson said.
“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 said.
The UK Foreign Office notes that as “pharmacy of the world”, India already supplies more than 50 per cent of the world’s vaccines, and the UK and India have worked closely together throughout the pandemic.
