DUBAI- Saudi Arabia's King Salman, addressing a virtual summit of G20 leaders, said the world's biggest economies must take firm measures on several fronts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, state news agency SPA said on Thursday.

He reaffirmed full support for the World Health Organization's coordination of efforts to fight the virus, adding "the G20 must assume the responsibility of reinforcing cooperation in financing research and development for therapeutics and a vaccine".

"We must also strengthen the global preparedness to counter infectious diseases that may spread in the future," he said.

(Reporting by Yousef Saba and Alaa Swilam; Editing by Toby Chopra) ((Yousef.Saba@thomsonreuters.com; +971562166204))