Brussels, March 26, 2020, SPA -- The European Union appreciated the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is holding the presidency of the G20, to coordinate globally in order to enhance collective preparedness to combat the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus. A joint statement by the European Commission and the European Council, welcomed the fact that the G20 had asked the World Health Organization, which is working closely with relevant organizations, to quickly come up with a global initiative on preparing for and responding to the virus, stressing the importance of the role of the G20 in coordinate international action to face and contain the severe health, economic and financial implications of the virus. --SPA 00:12 LOCAL TIME 21:12 GMT 0021 www.spa.gov.sa/2051860