Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated in the outreach sessions of the G7 summit, hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on 12 and 13 June.
The UK holds the presidency of G7 and has invited India, Australia, South Africa and South Korea to the upcoming summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed the country’s support for “collective endeavours” to improve global health governance and emphasised the need for a “One Earth One Health” approach to this.
The session, titled ‘Building Back Stronger – Health’, focused on global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and on strengthening resilience against future pandemics. The Prime Minister’s message received immediate support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to government sources.
PM Modi expressed appreciation for its support
Speaking virtually at the first Outreach Session of the G7 Summit on Saturday, PM Modi expressed appreciation for its support, as well as that of some guest countries, during the second Covid wave in India, a government release said.
PM Modi also emphasises responsibility of democratic, transparent societies to prevent future pandemics (PTI)
The G7 leaders debated how strongly they should respond to China which led to serious differences among the world leaders and the internet of the room was shut off, reports said.
The G7 group agrees a “Carbis Bay Declaration” to battle future pandemics
The statement comprises a series of health policy commitments, including slashing the time taken to develop and license vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days, and reinforcement of global surveillance networks.
On May 11, it was announced that PM Modi will not attend the G7 Summit in person, as the second wave of the pandemic was at its peak. The UK supported PM Modi’s decision and said all efforts would be taken to ensure his participation in the Summit is seamless, “as if he were actually in the room”.
India first participated in the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit in 2003. This is the second time that the Indian Prime Minister will be participating in the G7 meet.
India had been invited by the G7 French presidency in 2019 to the summit as a goodwill partner and the PM participated in these sessions on climate, biodiversity on oceans as well as on digital transformation.
