G20 virtual summit on COVID-19 to be held on March 26

RIYADH - The Saudi Arabian G20 Presidency will host the virtual G20 Summit on response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 26, the G20 Saudi secretariat said on Tuesday.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications, it said in a statement.

The leaders of G20 members will be joined by their counterparts from some invited countries, including Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Financial Stability Board, the International Labour Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the statement said.

The chairing states of some regional organizations, including Vietnam, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Africa, the chair of the African Union, the United Arab Emirates, the chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Rwanda, the chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, will also be invited to the meeting, it added.

The summit will be held at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues raging across the world, posing a grave threat to the human health and safety while fueling worries about its huge impact on the global economy.