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G20 to sign up to fight global tax avoidance G20 summit: Putin warns economic risks remain
(about 9 hours later)
Leaders of the G20 nations are gathering for a meeting at which they are expected to sign an agreement to fight tax avoidance by multinationals. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has told world leaders at the G20 summit that a return to economic crisis cannot be ruled out.
The group formally backed plans to tackle international tax avoidance and evasion at its meeting in July. He said they had not resolved the problem of returning the world economy towards steady and balanced growth.
The gathering, in the Russian city of St Petersburg, is officially about global economic matters. The leaders, meeting in St Petersburg to discuss the world economy, made progress on tightening up on multinational company tax avoidance.
However, the most meaty topic of conversation is likely to be Syria and how to handle the crisis there. The meeting's economic agenda has been overshadowed by the Syrian crisis.
The meeting, between representatives of the countries that account for two-thirds of the world's population, will also ponder the effects of an end to the US financial stimulus programme. Mr Putin said: "Our main task is returning the global economy towards steady and balanced growth. This task has unfortunately not been resolved.
Losers "Systemic risks, the conditions for an acute crisis relapse, persist."
The leaders also agreed to work to boost employment and growth.
Easy money
The meeting, between representatives of the countries that account for two-thirds of the world's population, also pondered the effects of an end to the US financial stimulus programme.
The leading economies of the eurozone and the US are showing signs of increasing growth.
That in itself, though, means that policymakers, particularly in the US, are planning to edge away from the lax monetary policies brought in to alleviate the effects of the credit crunch.
Some observers are concerned that investors are not ready to deal with an end to easy money and rock bottom interest rates, and this was also a key topic of discussion.
The chairman of the US central bank, Ben Bernanke, said in May that the US may start to rein back on its $85bn-a-month bond-buying programme, which releases cheap money into the system.
His remarks sparked a sell-off in emerging markets as investors rushed back to buy dollars in anticipation of higher returns.
This has led to spectacular falls in some markets - notably India, where the rupee has hit record lows, something that makes imported goods and commodities more expensive.
China's representative said at the meeting the US should go easy on this and be "mindful of the spill over effects and work to contribute to the stability of the global financial markets and the steady recovery of the global economy".
The G20 became an important platform for global policy discussions in 2008 when it was effectively re-booted to co-ordinate a global response to fighting the financial crisis.
One of the main topics to emerge this year has been multinational companies' use of legal, highly complex tax minimisation systems.One of the main topics to emerge this year has been multinational companies' use of legal, highly complex tax minimisation systems.
Oxfam warned this week that such behaviour was not only harmful to the countries in which companies were based, but paid little or no tax, but was also damaging to developing nations, with African countries losing 2% of national income to tax-dodging by businesses.
The G20 became an important platform for global policy discussions in 2008 when it was effectively re-booted to co-ordinate a global response - involving developing as well as the developed G7 nations - to fighting the financial crisis.
Concerns
The meeting takes place as the leading economies of the eurozone and the US show signs of increasing growth.
That in itself though means that policymakers, particularly in the US, are planning to edge away from the lax monetary policies brought into alleviate the effects of the credit crunch.
Some observers are concerned that investors are not ready to deal with an end to easy money and rock bottom interest rates, and this is also lined up as a key topic for discussion.
Growth in developing economies has slowed sharply and many countries' currencies have lost value against the US dollar, which has strengthened in anticipation of firmer interest rates.
However, crisis-ridden Syria is the most immediate global concern to many.However, crisis-ridden Syria is the most immediate global concern to many.
The two most important nations - the host country, Russia and the US - disagree deeply over how to respond, and comments on the situation in and around that country are likely to attract the most attention. The two most important nations - the host country, Russia and the US - disagree deeply over how to respond, and comments on the situation in and around that country have attracted the most attention.
The issue of gay rights is another non-economic subject on which Russia and the US hold opposing views, and that issue is also expected to be raised on the sidelines of the meeting with any comments expected to be closely scrutinised.