The Group of Seven advanced nations favors a temporary halt to debt payments from the world's poorest countries, but only if G20 governments also agree, G7 finance ministers said Tuesday. Noting that these countries face the most hardship in trying to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the G7 members "stand ready to provide a time-bound suspension on debt service payments" owed to their governments "if joined by all bilateral official creditors in the G20 and as agreed with the Paris Club." The G20 includes major emerging market economies like China and Russia. hs/cs