Working together with G20 countries on coronavirus: Trump

The US is working with its friends and partners around the world to stop the spread of the virus and coordinate their efforts, President Donald Trump said on Thursday after an emergency virtual meeting of G-20 leaders on COVID-19.

"We talked about the problem and hopefully won't be a problem for too much longer. The United States is working with our friends and partners around the world to stop the spread of the virus and coordinate our efforts," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference.

Describing it as a great meeting, he said, "We have a lot of different ideas, a lot of good ideas, we are working together. The leaders gathered virtually around the world to discuss the whole subject of the problem that right now 151 nations have got".

Trump said they discussed how vital it is for all of these nations to immediately share information and data.

"We have been doing that to a large extent but we will do it even more so and to inform each of us on the fight that we've got going one way or the other. It is a little bit different but we are handling it in different ways but there is great uniformity," he said.

There was tremendous spirit among all of those countries, he said.

Later in the day, Trump spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France. During the telephonic conversation, they discussed the latest efforts to combat coronavirus and its economic effects.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of close cooperation through the G7, G20, and P5 to help multilateral organizations, including the World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, eliminate the pandemic quickly and minimize its economic impact. The leaders also discussed important regional and bilateral issues," the White House said in a readout of the call.

Meanwhile, Us Chambers of Commerce praised the G-20 Summit Statement on COVID-19 in which they affirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation to fight the pandemic, safeguard the global economy and address international trade disputes.

"We are encouraged by the G20's pledge to strengthen global cooperation to combat COVID-19. To realize this goal, the Chamber urges G20 members to work urgently to ensure a transparent and stable trade environment, which is critical to ensure sustained and equitable access to lifesaving supplies for patients and medical providers," said US Chamber of Commerce executive vice president and Head of International Affairs Myron Brilliant.

"The business community stands ready to support the G20 in their efforts to develop coordinated responses to the pandemic, including collaboration with the G20 Ministers of Health as they prepare for a virtual meeting next month, he said.

G20 nations on Thursday pledged a "united front" in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and said they were injecting USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the impact of the crisis.