Ahead of a virtual gathering, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday that the Group of Seven industrialized nations should help speed up the development of future vaccines, treatments and tests for emerging diseases.
In a statement released before the meeting of G-7 leaders on Friday, Johnson called for the time it takes to develop a new vaccine to be cut by two-thirds to 100 days.
"Perhaps more than ever, the hopes of the world rest on the shoulders of scientists and over the last year, like countless times before, they have risen to the challenge," he said. "The development of viable coronavirus vaccines offers the tantalizing prospect of a return to normality, but we must not rest on our laurels."
The virtual meeting will be the first hosted by Johnson as part of Britain's presidency this year of the group, which also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
As well as addressing the coronavirus pandemic and the green economic recovery, Johnson and his counterparts are set to discuss various foreign policy issues, according to the statement.
The G-7 countries, which last held a leaders' meeting in April, are also finalizing a plan to express support for this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in a joint statement expected to be released after the online summit, according to Japanese government sources.
The Friday summit will be the first international gathering for U.S. President Joe Biden since he became president on Jan. 20.
The G-7 leaders are aiming to meet in person at a summit in Cornwall in June.
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