Hamburg summit shaping up to be the stormiest G-20 meeting in years

THE world's most powerful leaders are gathering in the German port city of Hamburg on Friday and Saturday for the latest summit of the Group of Twenty (G-20). The annual gathering of the world's largest economies includes the US, China, India and Russia. Between them, the membership accounts for 85 per cent of the world's GDP and two thirds of its population.

Since its roots as a ministerial-level meeting in 1999, the G-20 Summit has gradually evolved into a major forum for leaders to meet and discuss the most pressing global issues of the day. This year's summit, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is fast shaping up to be one of the stormiest in years, with many disagreements over key issues such as wars, trade and climate change.

As the leaders deliberate behind closed doors at the heavily-fortified Hamburg Messe & Congress Centre, much of the action will likely take place on the venue's sidelines over the two days as leaders seize the opportunity to meet one another in bilateral or even trilateral settings.