The United Kingdom has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Group of Seven summit, a meeting of leaders of the world’s major economies, which will be held in the country’s Cornwall region in June, reported NDTV on Sunday.

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also likely to visit India “ahead of the G7”, a statement by the British High Commission said. Johnson had earlier this month, cancelled his visit to the New Delhi to attend the Republic Day celebrations, after a new strain of the coronavirus prompted fresh restrictions in the country.

The statement further highlighted the growing cooperation between India and the United Kingdom over the fight against the coronavirus. “As ‘pharmacy of the world’, India already supplies more than 50% of the world’s vaccines, and the UK and India have worked closely together throughout the pandemic,” it said. “Our prime ministers speak regularly and Prime Minister Johnson has said he will visit India ahead of the G7”.

Besides India, Australia and South Korea have also been invited to what would be the first in-person G7 Summit in almost two years. The three countries will attend the gathering as guests to “deepen the expertise and experience around the table”.

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years to ask leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to seize the opportunity to build back better from coronavirus, uniting to make the future fairer, greener and more prosperous,” the British government said.

UK will use opportunity to ‘unite democracies’ against coronavirus

This year’s summit will be held in between June 11 and June 13, and the UK will use its G7 presidency to “unite leading democracies to help the world build back better from coronavirus and create a greener, more prosperous future”, the British High Commission said, according to the Hindustan Times.

“Coronavirus is doubtless[ly] the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced,” the statement quoted Johnson as saying. “It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.”

The group, which includes UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union, will also discuss issues of global importance like climate change, technological change and open trade, the statement added.