Awal 15, 1432 H. / February 18, 2011, SPA -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers meeting over the weekend in Paris to rise above their national interests and agree on measures to combat global economic imbalances. Addressing the ministers and central bank chiefs of the 20 leading developed and emerging economies, Sarkozy acknowledged: "Naturally it is harder to agree during economic downturns. There is a huge temptation to make national interests the priority." That would be "the death" of the G20, which has become the main forum for discussing the world economy, he warned according to dpa. This is the first major G20 meeting since France took over the rotating presidency of the group in November from South Korea and takes place as the economies of most G20 members continue to strengthen.
