Germany, France monitoring coronavirus very closely, ready for decisive action - Scholz

FILE PHOTO: A woman wears a protective mask in light of the coronavirus outbreak in China as she walks at the Trocadero esplanade in Paris, France, February 1, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and France are monitoring the spread of the coronavirus very closely, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Monday after talks with his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire, adding that Berlin and Paris were ready to take decisive action if needed.

"We discussed the full range of our European issues and of course the effects of the coronavirus on our countries," Scholz said after the talks in Berlin. "We are monitoring the situation very closely and will take decisive action if necessary."

The G7 finance ministers are expected to hold a conference call on Tuesday to discuss measures to deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, people familiar with the arrangements told Reuters earlier on Monday.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Riham Alkousaa)