Australia has joined the past and present chairs that manage the summits of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies to promote global economic growth and stability, the federal government said, according to Sky News Australia.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan say Australia has taken its place on the G20 'troika' with Mexico and Russia on the body of recent past, present and future hosts of the forum.

“As part of this group, Australia will play an enhanced role in guiding the G20's work in the lead-up to our G20 Presidency in 2014,” Gillard and Swan said in a joint statement on Monday, Dec 3.

Gillard said she has written to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to congratulate him on taking the G20 chair ahead of the nation hosting the next leaders' summit in St Petersburg next September.

Russia took over from Mexico on the weekend as chair of the G20.

The PM said she has also written and congratulated Mexico's new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, on his inauguration and Mexico's achievements as G20 host in 2012. She said the G20 is the forum best equipped to resolve the continuing economic and financial challenges around the world.

“The G20 is a dynamic and flexible forum dedicated to resolving the global economic problems of the day and laying the foundations for prosperity and stability for the years to come,” Gillard said.

Brisbane will host the annual summit in November 2014, while various G20 finance and central bank meetings will be held in Cairns, Canberra and Sydney.