RIYADH - Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud called on Thursday upon the G20 countries to take responsibility for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the opening of the extraordinary G20 leaders' virtual summit, King Salman said that the G20 countries should be responsible for financing research on therapeutics and vaccine against coronavirus.

"The impact of this pandemic has spread to reach the global economy, financial markets, trade, and global supply chains, hampering growth and development and reversing the gains accomplished in the previous years," he said.

The Saudi king said that the Saudi G20 Presidency took the lead and worked with partners and relevant organizations to take all necessary actions in order to contain the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard people's health.

He also emphasized the responsibility of the G20 to extend helping hand to developing countries and least developed countries to enable them to build their capacities and improve their infrastructure to overcome this crisis and its repercussions.