Vital issues on plate as G7 meets Johnson hails British ties with US as ‘indestructible’
Seven world leaders begin discussions on topics such as China, climate and vaccines
Towering steel fences, masses of police, protests on the beach - the Cornish seaside’s turquoise waters and white sandy beaches are looking decidedly less idyllic this week as leaders of the G7 wealthy democracies descended for a summit.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting leaders from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan for three days of talks that started on Friday at the tiny village of Carbis Bay, near St. Ives in Cornwall.
From the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to making a joint pledge on tackling the climate crisis to reining in countries such as China and Russia - the seven world leaders will be delving into each one of these issues, alongside several others, in three days of intense debate and discussion.
Cornwall is a popular holiday destination in the southwestern tip of England known for its
Along, picturesque coastline, its mild climate - and a savoury pastry called the Cornish Pasty.
Locals may be used to crowds and traffic jams during the peak summer tourist season, but the disruptions caused by the summit are on another level. A naval frigate dominated the coastline, armed soldiers guarded the main sites and some 5,000 extra police officers were deployed to the area.
Authorities have even hired a cruise ship with a capacity of 3,000, moored offshore, to accommodate some of the extra officers.
A main road was closed for the whole week, and local train lines and bus services have been shut down. A 10-foot tall metal fence nicknamed the “ring of steel” has been erected around Treganna Castle in Carbis Bay, where world leaders will stay. Security is also tight in the nearby town of Falmouth, the main base for international media covering the summit.
“This is just a totally surreal experience, the amount of police presence is phenomenal. It’s got to be the safest place in the country to be at the moment,” said Sue Bates, 64. Her husband, John, said they felt their holiday cottage shake when helicopters flew over.
“I feel sorry for the consequences that it is having on locals, I understand that some of the restaurant staff can’t get in to work during the period of the
G7, which is pretty unfortunate,” she said.
The summit has been a boon for local hotels and guest houses, which have just recently been allowed to reopen after months of forced closure under the UK’S Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. All rooms were booked up months in advance by visiting media and officials.
Target of protesters
Hundreds of protesters have targeted the G7 summit in southwest England to demand action on the climate crisis, poverty and Covid-19 vaccines. From blimps of US President Joe Biden and Johnson to activists dressed in Pikachu costumes, they could be seen around the coastline, holding demonstrations.
Dozens of campaign groups want to court publicity for their causes and send a message to the Western political elite.
“We want the real Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and other G7 leaders gathering in Cornwall to be like these blimps and join the wave of hope,” said Jamie Drummond from the Crack the Crises group, which organised a blimp protest. “That means they should stop hoarding and start sharing - sharing the money, doses and the tech to vaccinate the world; and deliver a historic green recovery deal.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the UK-US relationship as “indestructible” after his first meeting with President Joe Biden before the G7 leaders’ summit opened on Friday.
“It’s a relationship, you can call it the deep and meaningful relationship, whatever you want, the indestructible relationship,” Johnson said in a BBC interview broadcast on Friday. “It’s a relationship that has endured for a very long time, and has been an important part of peace and prosperity both in Europe and around the world.”
During their face-to-face meeting on Thursday, the two leaders discussed “about 25 subjects in some detail”, including the Brexit-induced disruption in Northern Ireland, he said.
Johnson played down the displeasure of Biden, who is proud of his Irish origins, over London’s attempts to reverse the “Northern Ireland Protocol”, which seeks to avoid the return of a border with EU member Ireland but which has disrupted trade between the mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.
Johnson said, “Everybody has a massive interest in making sure that we keep the essential symmetry of the Good Friday Agreement,” which ended three decades of conflict in the Britishruled province. “I think we can sort it out,” he added.
In his meeting with Biden,
Johnson also raised the case of UK teenager Harry Dunn, who was killed in a road accident caused by the wife of a US diplomat. She quickly left Britain for the US after the accident, claiming diplomatic immunity.
Biden was “actively engaged in the case”, Johnson said. “He has his own personal reasons for feeling deeply about the issue.” He was referring to Biden losing his first wife and one-year-old daughter in a car crash in 1972.