Malaysia said on Monday it will host the first ever virtual summit of leaders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in November.

Doubts had arisen earlier in 2020 if the summit will go ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand, which is hosting 2021's APEC summit, has said it will use virtual platforms to conduct the meeting due to travel restrictions and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

In a statement, the International Trade and Industry Ministry said Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will chair on November 20 the Economic Leaders' Meeting which will have the participation of all 21 APEC economic leaders.

Reuters