Prime Minister Modi spoke at three sessions during the two-day G7 Summit on the theme ‘Building Back Better’….reports Asian Lite News
India’s engagement with G7 and other guest countries stands on its own, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday, adding that India has engaged in ministerial and working-level tracks as a guest country.
Addressing a special briefing after the end of the 47th Group of 7 (G7) summit in Cornwall, the United Kingdom, Additional Secretary (ER) in the MEA P Harish said several world leaders had appreciated India’s engagement and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interventions.
Prime Minister Modi spoke at three sessions during the two-day G7 Summit on the theme ‘Building Back Better’.
His participation was based on three broad tracks in building back better, stronger, together and greener, Harish pointed out. These tracks were global health, vaccines and recovery from Covid-19; environmental and climate change; and open societies and open economies.
The Prime Minister also spoke on the need for open and democratic societies to work together and strengthen each others’ hands to defend the values that they hold dear and respond to increasing challenges.
Describing India’s engagement as fruitful and productive, the MEA official said the government hopes to take forward the engagement in various initiatives, including in the run-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, scheduled for November.
Attending outreach sessions at the G7 summit virtually from India, Prime Minister Modi pushed for a coordinated global response against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and future pandemics with the mantra of “One earth, one health”.
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The Indian Prime Minister also sought support for the proposal, initiated by India and South Africa, at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a waiver of patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines and technologies to make them accessible to all.
This was PM Modi’s second G7 summit, the first one being the one at Biarritz in France in 2019. He attended the meet at the invitation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK, which currently holds the presidency of the grouping.
While PM Johnson was disappointed at not being able to welcome the Indian Prime Minister in person, he was understanding and supportive of his decision (to attend virtually), Harish said.
The Prime Ministers of Australia, South Korea and South Africa had also been invited to attend the G7 meeting.
The G7 countries were important for India, PM Modi said, adding, “We enjoy political, economic and cultural ties with each of the members. Three of the P5 members of the UNSC are members of the G7”.
The summit concluded with the G7 leaders of the US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan adopting the ‘Build Back Better’ mantra.
They resolved to end the Covid-19 pandemic and combat climate change. In a 25-page communique, the G7 pledged to work together to promote their “shared values as open societies in the international system.”
“We were joined in Cornwall by the Leaders of Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa, with whom we have agreed a shared statement on the value and role of open societies. We will continue to work together with these and all our partners in tackling global challenges,” the communique said. (INN)
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