WASHINGTON — The Group of 7 summit will not be held as scheduled at Camp David in June but will instead be convened by teleconference because of the coronavirus outbreak, a White House official said on Thursday. A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said in a statement that President Trump would host the leaders “via video teleconference in April and May just as he did this week.”On Monday, Mr. Trump held a teleconference with members of the Group of 7 leading industrial economies, which include Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. During the meeting, the officials pledged to coordinate on public health measures and to work to restore consumer confidence. “We, the leaders of the Group of 7, acknowledge that the Covid-19 pandemic is a human tragedy and a global health crisis, which also poses major risks for the world economy,” the group said in a joint statement issued afterward, referring to the illness caused by the virus. “We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure a strong global response through closer cooperation and enhanced coordination of our efforts.”

Source: International New York Times March 20, 2020 01:41 UTC