Besides Covid-19 vaccines, other issues that they will discuss on Wednesday include media freedom, arbitrary detention, and girls’ education.
Dr Sibrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian Foreign Minister should self-isolate in London on Wednesday. It came after two members of the India delegation to a G7 summit tested positive for the virus.
He made the statement on Twitter that he decided to visit the G7 meeting today in the virtual model as a measure of abundant caution and consideration for others. A senior UK diplomat said that they regretted that Dr Jaishankar is unable to attend in person but virtually. Then he added the reason why we should be strict to Covid protocols and daily testings.
The Indian delegation might not yet attend Lancaster House in central London. It is where G7 ministers meet. All other attendees will continue to be tested daily and stay with strict social distancing protocols. Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister claimed that protocols were in place.
“The protocols of testing and self-isolating refer to all the summit and the companies that help the foreign ministers that are in town at the moment,” Mr Zahawi explained. He also commends the Public Health England team who ensure everybody is protected. Then anybody who has any symptoms or is identified to have an infection self-isolates.
The G7 members are the US, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Japan, and Canada. India had been invited to attend even though they are not a member.
The G7 summit this year will discuss global access to vaccines. Its meeting will be chaired by Dominic Raab, a Foreign Secretary. They will talk the majority about vaccines globally but are unlikely to commit specific numbers of doses they can offer to developing nations. Mr Raab also stressed the UK’s commitment to the Covax initiative.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former prime minister Gordon Brown and the World Health Organisation chief pushed wealthy nations to do more. He said the summit of G7 leaders could be “the most significant meeting in its history” because of their capacity to lead a “global effort” to suggest vaccines and fund strategies through Covax also the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (Act-a).
Besides Covid-19 vaccines, other issues that they will discuss on Wednesday include media freedom, arbitrary detention, and girls’ education.