Coronavirus: German, Serbian leaders to hold video call

By Erbil Basay

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet in a video conference call on Monday rather than a face-to-face meeting in Berlin as the fears of coronavirus are spreading worldwide like the disease.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Friday that the meeting was planned as a visit to Berlin.

"But upon the agreement of both leaders, it will be a video conference call and will take place on Monday afternoon," Seibert said.

He also announced that Merkel will meet with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel planned for Thursday in a video conference call.

Merkel was expected to visit Turkey to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan next week. Seibert said her visit is still yet to be planned.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 123 countries and territories.

The global death toll is now nearly 5,000, with more than 132,500 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization, which declared the outbreak a pandemic.

*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak in Ankara