MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Johnson praises Biden as the leader of the free world helping to unite the West

Johnson welcomed the contribution all G7 members have made to ACT-A and the COVAX vaccine facility

United States Joe Biden has put the United States back as leader of the free world in a fantastic move that has helped the West to unite, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday.

“As you've seen and heard earlier, America is unreservedly back as the leader of the free world and that is a fantastic thing,” Johnson told the Munich Security Conference, referring to a speech by the U.S. president earlier on Friday.

“The gloom has been overdone. And we're turning a corner and the countries we call the West are drawing together and combining their formidable strength and expertise once again,”

Prime Minister Johnson chaired a virtual meeting of G7 Leaders on Friday afternoon.

All leaders agreed on the opportunity 2021 presents for the G7 to take a united approach to shared challenges as we build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

They agreed on the need to ensure coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics reach those that need them, wherever they are in the world. Johnson welcomed the contribution all G7 members have made to ACT-A and the COVAX vaccine facility. He also set out the UK’s commitment to share the majority of any future surplus vaccines with COVAX.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to learn lessons from this pandemic and highlighted the importance of agreeing common protocols to prevent future pandemics. He noted the value of a global health treaty in this context.

G7 leaders welcomed the United States’ readmission to the Paris Climate Agreement and agreed on the need for a green, sustainable global recovery. Johnson said that the G7 should work together to pave the way to the Kunming Convention on Biological Diversity and COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November.

All leaders agreed on the important and unique role the G7 plays as the world’s leading democracies. The Prime Minister welcomed the united stance taken by the G7 in condemning the recent coup in Myanmar and the detention of Alexey Navalny in Russia. He stressed the responsibility the G7 has to demonstrate to the world the benefit of our shared democratic values in creating open and prosperous societies.

Finally Prime Minister as chair of G&, looked forward to seeing his fellow leaders in person at the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June.