Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called off his visit to the UK next month for an in-person visit to attend the G-7 summit.

Covid concerns

While appreciating the invitation by UK PM Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a Special Invitee, given the prevailing Covid, it has been decided that PM Modi will not attend the G7 Summit in person. — Ministry of External Affairs

This is the second overseas visit cancelled by the Prime Minister after he put off his in-person summit with EU leaders on May 8 and instead had to settle for a hybrid conference.

“While appreciating the invitation by UK PM Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a Special Invitee, given the prevailing Covid, it has been decided that PM Modi will not attend the G7 Summit in person,” said a Ministry

of External Affairs

(MEA) statement.

The Indian team led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that had attended the preparatory Foreign Ministers’ meeting had landed in a controversy over the Covid issue.

Though Jaishankar had to self-isolate following reports that two diplomats from his accompanying team had tested positive for Covid, the minister later suggested in a social media post that the reports of positive tests were a false alarm.