Britain will hold the first in-person G7 summit for nearly two years, inviting the leaders of major developed economies to a Cornish village to discuss rebuilding from the pandemic and climate change.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been invited to the June event, which incoming US president Joe Biden is expected to attend.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also invited India, South Korea and the EU to join the G7 leaders as he seeks to promote a green recovery from the crisis.
Johnson says he wants to use the UK's presidency of the G7 to forge a consensus that the global economy must recover from the COVID-19 crisis in a pro-free trade and sustainable way.
"Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced," he said in a statement. "It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future."
Britain has suffered badly during the health crisis, with the highest death toll in Europe of more than 88,000 people.
But, while a third wave of the virus causes more than 1,000 deaths per day, the country is leading the way on vaccinations having been the first in the world to authorise their use, and hopes to have much of the population protected within months.
Last year's G7 meeting, due to be hosted by US President Donald Trump, was cancelled due to the pandemic, meaning the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and Canada have not met in person since the 2019 meeting in Biarritz, France.
The Sunday Telegraph newspaper said the British government hoped the event would be the occasion for US President-elect Joe Biden's first trip to Europe after he becomes president on January 20.
The summit will take place in the tiny resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, southwest England - an area now most famous for its beaches and surfing but also home to fishing fleets and once an important mining area.
"Two hundred years ago Cornwall's tin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK's industrial revolution and this summer Cornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement," Johnson said.
Australian Associated Press
