G20 ministers' meet: What you need to know

Matera, June 29: The foreign and development ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) countries are meeting in the Italian city of Matera on Tuesday.

Among the topics to be discussed, the COVID pandemic is high up on the agenda.

What are the G20 ministers planning on COVID?

Ministers are likely to discuss ways to coordinate the international response to the health emergency.

They will also seek ways to ensure equitable worldwide access to vaccines and diagnostics.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the goal of the meeting is to set the course for the global fight against the pandemic.

"Now is the time to make global health structures fit for future health crises," Maas said Monday.

At a world health summit in Rome in May, the G20 countries had already agreed to forge stronger cooperation in all areas of health care to be better equipped against global crises in the future.

What else is on the agenda?

The pandemic will not be the only topic of discussion at the gathering in Matera.

The ministers' talks also encompass other subjects ranging from climate change and international trade to sustainable development and assistance for Africa.

"We need to get the global economy back on track," Maas said.

What is the G20?

The G20 comprises most of the world's largest economies, bringing together both industrialized and developing nations such as the US, China, Germany, India and Brazil.

The foreign and development ministers' meeting prepares the groundwork for this year's G20 leaders' summit in Rome at the end of October.

sri/rt (AFP, dpa)

Source: DW