The leaders of the G7 countries showed their determination Saturday to make "historic" progress as they endorsed an action plan to combat future epidemics at a summit they are holding to show unity in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

The heads of state and government of Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States have so far shown during the Group of Seven summit, held until Sunday in southwest England, their agreement when taking the traditional souvenir photo Friday and during a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in their honor.

Before continuing Saturday evening's informal talks about a barbecue on the beach, the leaders on Saturday entered the heart of the discussion by addressing ways to combat the health crisis.

After making promises to provide vaccines to poor countries, leaders are seeking to identify ways to avoid a repeat of the global catastrophe we are currently witnessing.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Twitter welcomed the "Carbis Bay Declaration" proposed by the G7 to prevent future pandemics as a "historic moment."

"Under this agreement, the world's leading democracies will commit themselves to preventing a global pandemic from happening again, and ensuring that the devastation caused by COVID-19 is not repeated," he wrote in a tweet.

The document stipulates a series of pledges to prevent the outbreak of a new pandemic, including reducing the deadline for developing vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, in the hope that the world will be ready in less than a hundred days to confront an emergency disease.

The second part of the text deals with strengthening health supervision and implementing a reform of the World Health Organization in order to strengthen it, a goal that is difficult to achieve without the participation of China, which considers the G7 a "clique" formed by Washington.

- Democratic 'values' -

The announcement does not resolve the thorny issue of lifting patents on vaccines in order to speed up production, which the United States and France support, while Germany opposes.

Oxfam considers the G7 to be too lenient with pharmaceutical companies. The NGO declared that “this announcement does not solve the fundamental problems that prevent the availability of vaccines to the majority of humanity” in exchange for giving up private ownership of patents.

The leaders of the seven countries will hold continuous working sessions on Saturday to discuss health, diplomacy and economic issues.

China and Russia will be at the center of the talks on foreign policy issues, at a time when leaders have warned that they intend to affirm their liberal democratic "values."

"The issue is not about pressuring countries to choose between the United States and China, but about proposing another vision and another approach," a senior US official said.

In this regard, the G7 Saturday approved a large-scale global plan for infrastructure aimed at poor and emerging countries, put forward by Joe Biden and aimed at competing with the Chinese "New Silk Roads" plan.

The "Rebuilding the World Better" plan seeks to help these countries rise after the Covid-19 epidemic by focusing on the climate, health, the digital sector, and combating social disparity, the White House announced in a statement.

- Clarifications about Brexit -

This first summit, which was held in attendance nearly two years ago, also provides an opportunity to achieve progress between the various countries on controversial bilateral issues.

Boris Johnson, who is participating in his first summit since his country left the European Union Jan. 1, has held successive bilateral meetings since the morning, bringing him together with Macron, Merkel and European Commission President Ursula vu der Leyen.

These meetings are held at a time when London seeks to soften the terms of the Brexit agreement related to Northern Ireland, which confuses the supply process and angers the unionists, to the discontent of Brussels, which has threatened to impose trade sanctions.

As for the British government, it confirms that it will never accept anything that challenges the unity of the United Kingdom.

Johnson warned Saturday that London would "not hesitate" to bypass the terms of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland if the Europeans did not show flexibility.

Macron expressed his readiness to re-launch French-British relations, but "stressed that this renewal of commitment presumes that the British respect the promises they made to the Europeans and the framework set by the Brexit agreements," the Elysee Palace announced after the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit.