UK PM Johnson says G7 summit is a chance to learn COVID lessons

CARBIS BAY, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the other leaders of the world's most advanced economies on Friday that their G7 summit was a chance to learn lessons from the coronavirus pandemic and ensure they do not repeat the errors made during it.

Addressing the leaders of the Group of Seven, as well the European Union, he said: "I actually think that this is a meeting that genuinely needs to happen because we need to make sure that we learn the lessons from the pandemic, we need to make sure that we don't repeat some of the errors that we doubtless made in the course of the last 18 months or so."

"And we need to make sure that we now allow our economies to recover."

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, writing by Elizabeth Piper, editing by William Schomberg)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a group photo at the G7 summit, in Carbis Bay, Britain, June 11, 2021. Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with France's President Emmanuel Macron after posing for the G-7 family photo with guests at the G-7 summit, in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain June 11, 2021. Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. President Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, France's President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel attend a session during the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain, June 11, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool

U.S. President Joe Biden and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend a session during the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain, June 11, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool

U.S. President Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, European Council President Charles Michel, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi stand for a family photo during the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain, June 11, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau bumps elbows with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spouse Carrie Johnson, next to Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain, June 11, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool

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