PM Modi to participate in G20 virtual summit today

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Leaders of the Group of 20 nations will hold a summit today via video conference to discuss measures to protect the global economy, amid coronavirus pandemic which has claimed over 18,000 lives globally.

The summit, which will be chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, aims to “advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications,” according to the statement published by the G20 Secretariat on Tuesday. The lethal virus which was first detected in December last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has since, infected over 4,14,179 people around the world.

The coronavirus has already resulted in major disruption of global supply chains, volatility and large drops in the stock market and could cause a financial crisis as stated by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. India is a member nation of the G20 group. Speaking on the summit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Group of 20 has an important role to play in the fight against coronavirus.