PM Modi to join UK-hosted outreach sessions at G7 virtual summit in Cornwall today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the G7 virtual summit in Cornwall, which is being hosted by the United Kingdom. According to officials, Prime Minister Modi will participate in virtual G7 outreach sessions on June 12 and 13. The UK now holds the G7 presidency and India, Australia, South Africa and South Korea have been invited to the forthcoming meeting.

PM Modi to attend UK-hosted G7 summit

Due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, Prime Minister Modi postponed his visit to the UK for an in-person visit to attend the summit last month. For the first time since the global coronavirus pandemic, the leaders of the world's most advanced economies convened on the Cornish coast for the Group of Seven (G7) meeting on Friday, June 11.

The theme of this year's G7 summit is 'Build Back Better,' and the UK has set four priorities for its presidency: leading the global recovery from the coronavirus while strengthening resilience against future pandemics, promoting future prosperity by championing free and fair trade, combating climate change and preserving the planet's biodiversity, and championing shared values and open societies.

The Indian Prime Minister will be attending the G7 meeting for the second time. The G7 French presidency had invited India as a goodwill partner to the summit in 2019, and the Prime Minister took part in sessions on climate, ocean biodiversity, and digital transformation.

UK-hosted G7 virtual summit

India, Australia, and South Korea are among the special invitees to Johnson's G-7 Summit in Cornwall this year.  The guest leaders would be asked to attend select sessions of the Group of Seven meeting, which is chaired by the United Kingdom and includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the European Union (EU).  PM Modi has denied an in-person visit for the second time in a row. The Prime Minister had already denied a trip to Porto, Portugal, to attend the India-EU Leaders' Meeting, which took place digitally on May 8.

While the UK welcomed India this year, the US had extended an invitation in May of last year under President Donald Trump. Trump had previously described the G7 as a very outdated group and stated that India, Australia, South Korea, and Russia should be included in the club of the world's most advanced countries. Trump recommended that the G7 be renamed the "G10 or G11," and that the grouping meet in September or November 2020. However, due to the pandemic and the outcome of the US election, this was not possible.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: PTI