Leaders across the globe, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will participate in a virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit on Thursday to discuss strategies to combat the coronavirus pandemic, LiveMint reported on Tuesday.

Leaders will strategise on ways to mitigate the global economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with other matters, at the ‘Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit’, the report said. The summit will follow a “Virtual G20 Sherpa” meeting to be held on Wednesday, it said.

The G20 Leaders’ virtual meeting has been organised following a telephone conversation between PM Modi and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman last week, according to the report. The PM has also been in talks with the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, on the matter, it said.

The pandemic, which has accounted for over 16,000 deaths across the globe, and over 3,80,000 cases, has impacted the global economy, and experts predict a recession across countries in the coming months.

‘A moment for solidarity’

Following a conference call of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on Monday, the International Monetary Fund Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, said, “The human costs of the coronavirus pandemic are already immeasurable and all countries need to work together to protect people and limit the economic damage. This is a moment for solidarity — which was a major theme of the meeting today of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.”

“The outlook for global growth: for 2020 it is negative — a recession at least as bad as during the global financial crisis or worse. But we expect recovery in 2021,” she further said.

Meanwhile, PM Modi will give his second national address on the matter at 8 pm today.

“Will address the nation at 8 PM today, March 24, 2020, on vital aspects relating to the menace of Covid-19,” PM Modi tweeted from his official account.

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