Coronavirus pandemic pushes annual G-20 summit to go virtual

The annual gathering of the G-20 leaders will be held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, host nation Saudi Arabia announced Monday.

The political summit is the latest to fall victim to the ongoing health crisis as G-20 member nations hope to use the platform to come up with a global, united response.

“The G-20 is leading the fight against this global pandemic; taking swift and unprecedented actions to protect lives, livelihoods and the most vulnerable,” Saudi Arabia said in a statement.

The member states have collectively contributed $21 billion towards COVID-19 treatments and vaccine development, according to the statement.

Saudi Arabia, which currently serves as G-20 president, said that the virtual summit will still be held on Nov. 21 and 22 and will have the theme of “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All.”

“The upcoming G-20 Leaders’ Summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future,” Riyadh said. “The summit will also focus on fostering international action to realize opportunities of the 21st century for all, by empowering people and protecting our planet, whilst harnessing the potential of innovation to shape new frontiers.”