RIYADH

The G20 proved its strength and capability by leading efforts to stem the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia’s king said on Saturday.

In a tweet ahead of the start of the G20 summit in Riyadh, King Salman bin Abdulaziz said the group’s responsibility was – and will remain – to ensure a better, healthy, and prosperous future for all.

G20 member states have pumped billions of dollars into the global economy since March to counter the pandemic’s effects, and provided billions more to support health systems and vaccine research.

The G20 consists of Germany, the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, France, South Africa, South Korea, India, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the European Union.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara