LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson opened the G7 summit on Friday saying the world needs to learn the lessons of the pandemic, and not repeat the mistakes from the last global recession, when recovery was unequal in different parts of society.

Johnson said special attention needs to be made now on how leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations work together now to "build back better, together," emphasizing it should happen "in a more equal way."

Discussions are ongoing with members of the world's largest developed economies, who had arrived in Cornwall on Friday.

At least one of the announcements likely to be made at the in-person meeting, the first since 2019, is a pledge of one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to nations who need them.

US President Joe Biden, on his first overseas trip since taking office in January 2021, has pledged to donate 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Campaigners hope the world leaders will take firm steps towards addressing climate change.

Leaders are also expected to endorse a minimum global corporate tax rate after finance ministers agreed on a rate of 15% in meetings over the weekend and discuss a host of foreign policy issues. — Euronews