Participants at the opening session of the G20 Summit on November 21. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called on the G20 economies to help developing and underdeveloped nations recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn.
Accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Widodo made the remarks when attending the first day of the G20 Summit via video conference from the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on November 21 evening.
The President reminded the UN Secretary-General's statement on the need for strong solidarity for developing countries, Widodo was quoted by the foreign minister as saying.
He said without the assistance of the G20 countries, developing and underdeveloped countries will not easily recover from the pandemic and economic downturn, according to Marsudi.
The President said that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has requested financial support of 2.5 trillion USD so that developing countries are able to get out of the economic downturn, Marsudi said.
Widodo also conveyed the importance of debt restructuring assistance for low-income countries, especially from large debt-giving countries, in support of the world economic recovery, while it is important to continue providing extraordinary support for fiscal, monetary and financial sector policies, the minister said.
On the occasion, the President also called for the important funding for health recovery, saying that the vaccine is one of the ammunitions against COVID-19.
Widodo said the world was currently watching and waiting for the meeting of the leaders of the G20 economies who are expected to bring the world out of the health crisis and economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The G20 Summit 2020 took place in a virtual format on November 21-22 in Riyadh under the presidency of Saudi Arabia, with the theme "Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All"./.
VNA
