G7 summit: World leaders show strong diplomatic ties on Day 1

The first day of the G7 summit ended on a productive note on Friday as world leaders depicted strong diplomatic ties and also welcomed US President Joe Biden for his debut international meeting. 

The agenda of the summit revolved around “building back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic while focusing on the global economy. Consensus on the global minimum tax is expected to be announced by the world leaders.

The leaders posed for a “family photo”, which was clicked on a beach close to the summit’s venue located in Cornwall’s Carbis Bay. 

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement, “We will find strong words here in support of multilateralism and also for values-based multilateralism which will lead to a dispute with Russia and in some aspects also with China” while pushing multilateral and diplomatic ideals, reported CNN.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the diplomatic meeting can act as a “huge opportunity” for the world leaders to learn from the shortcomings of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that a “united vision” is integral for recovering the world economy.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet that the ongoing G7 summit “must be one of action” and highlighted the need for “concrete commitments” from those who are present.

He wrote, “We have a responsibility to set clear goals and make concrete commitments to meet the challenges of our time. This G7 must be one of action. I am glad to see you again, dear partners and friends. Let’s get to work, together.”

After the meeting, the entire delegation of leaders attended a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at a botanical garden located in Cornwall called ‘Eden Project’. The meeting was also attended by members of the royal family like Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, reported CNN.