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Players
The Group of Twenty (G20)
The finance ministers and governors of the central banks of the 19 biggest economies plus a representative from the EU and one from the European Central Bank (ECB) first met in 1999 to discuss important issues in regard to the global economy. They have since become known as the Group of Twenty (G20). The decisions taken at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh in September 2009 mean that in the medium term the Group, which on account of the financial and economic crisis has also included heads of state and government since 2008, will most likely replace the G8. A transitional format has been agreed for 2010, and from 2011 only G20 summits will presumably be taking place.
The members of the G20 include the members of the G8 plus Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union, which is represented by the rotating Council Presidency. These countries represent around 90 per cent of global gross national income, 80 per cent of global trade and two thirds of the world's population.
