Finance officials from the Group of 20 leading economies sketched an uncertain outlook for global growth on Tuesday and vowed to use monetary and fiscal policy if needed to stem any risk of stagnation.
The United States urged nations at the G20 meeting not to resort to currency devaluations to boost exports, an indication Washington is starting to feel wary of its allies manipulating their exchange rates to support growth.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew signaled that Germany and others in Europe should engage in deficit spending, saying it would not be a "good ride" for the global economy if only the United States was strong.
The meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Istanbul comes at a difficult time, with major economies running at different speeds, monetary policies diverging and Greece casting a new shadow over Europe.
Germany, which boasts a record current account surplus, has been unbending in the face of G20 calls to spend more and boost demand.
The final G20 communique also pledged to put debt as a share of output on a sustainable path.
The communique noted slow growth in the euro area and Japan and said some emerging market economies were slowing down. It said the European Central Bank's quantitative easing, which has raised German concern, would further support recovery in the euro area.
A sharp decline in oil prices would also give some boost to global growth, it said.
