France moved Friday to bolster cross-border coordination of the coronavirus response, marshalling G7 leaders for an extraordinary summit via videoconference, and launching an EU discussion on stricter border control.

Next Monday's talks by the Group of Seven nations - the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, and Japan - will seek to harmonise action against the virus in the spheres of health, economy, finance and research, the French presidency announced. The G7 summit, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron who discussed it with US counterpart Donald Trump by telephone Friday, would be the first ever held by videoconference.

The United States, current chair of the G7, and others in the group "all gave their agreement" for the meeting, the Elysee Palace said. "Following my call with @realDonaldTrump and all G7 leaders, we agreed to organize an extraordinary Leaders Summit by videoconference on Monday on Covid-19," tweeted Macron.

"We will coordinate research efforts on a vaccine and treatments, and work on an economic and financial response." International cooperation was "essential to face this crises and its consequences, particularly economic ones", said the presidency.