The G7 itch in G20 times

Since its summit in Seoul, G20 has been increasingly criticized in the West. But with the shift in economic and political power from the West to the East, G20 reflects inclusive growth.

On Feb 18 and 19, finance officials of the world's 20 leading economies and representatives of international financial institutions will gather for the first high-level meeting under France's yearlong G20 presidency. The meeting takes place amid sluggish recovery in the advanced economies and broader growth in the large emerging economies. It also comes when the debate over G20's role has intensified.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has laid out an ambitious agenda for the G20. The 20 economies' finance officials hope to tackle the eurozone's debt crisis, currency policy, financial regulation, the representation of non-G20 countries at future meetings, and a slate of other economic problems plaguing rich and developing countries alike.