G7 leaders kick off summit in Cornwall

The Group of Seven (G7) began formally on Friday as the leaders of the world's most advaned economies gathered on the Cornish coast for the first time since the outbreak of global coronavirus pandemic.

The gathered nations will pledge to donate 1 billion COVID vaccine doses, with the US providing about half of those shots.

The G7 summit was shaping up to potentially be one of the most consequential in recent memory with a pandemic raging in much of the world, a global economy still in shock and threats rising from Russia and China, CNN reported.

Queen Elizabeth II and other senior members of the royal family met G7 leaders and their partners at a reception in Cornwall.

The 95-year-old Queen, the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the reception at the Eden Project, a famous visitor attraction located in a reclaimed china clay pit.

President Biden had a pull-aside meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday during the G7 summit.

"The Leaders discussed a range of regional and bilateral issues, including COVID-19 and counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, and affirmed the importance of the U.S.-France partnership and the Transatlantic alliance," the White House spokesperson said in a statement.

( With inputs from ANI )