1. Ambassador for international cooperation on G20 affairs Choi Kyong-lim (G20 Sherpa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) participated in the 2nd Sherpa Meeting in the form of video conference, held on March 12 to prepare for this year’s G20 Summit (November 21-22, Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).

2. In particular, the key agenda of the meeting was the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the global economy and international collaboration to respond to it. The participants in the meeting agreed on the Statement on COVID-19, which stresses the importance of collaboration to contain the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact on the global economy, as well as close cooperation with international organizations, including the World Health Organization.

3. Ambassador Choi explained the response efforts of the ROK, where the number of new cases of infection is declining due to speedy and transparent diagnosis and management, and emphasized that responses to the global health crisis must be in line with the WHO International Health Regulations to avoid unnecessary interference with international trade and traffic.

4. In addition, the participants discussed public health, trade and investment, and energy and climate change. Ambassador Choi asked for the member countries’ interest in the Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, to be held in the ROK in June this year.