Coronavirus: G7 foreign ministers to meet at virtual summit

The US state department has said the decision was made out of an ‘abundance of caution’

File Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump with other G7 leaders AFP

This year’s meeting of G7 foreign ministers in the United States will be held virtually rather than in person as a precaution against growing threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement the US State Department has said the meeting, due to be held from March 24-25 in Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, would be held through teleconference.

The announcement came as the United States confirmed its cases of the novel coronavirus, known as Covid-19, had surpassed 1,000. At the same time, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global pandemic.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the United States has decided to host the upcoming G7 ministerial virtually by video teleconference instead of gathering in Pittsburgh, March 24-25,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said.

“We thank the city of Pittsburgh for its willingness to host this year’s G7 ministerial and for the support and assistance planning this year’s event. We look forward to holding future events there,” she added.

The meeting of foreign ministers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada proceeds a G7 leaders’ summit in the US in June.