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Australia has failed to hold a closing press conference at the G20 leaders' summit despite the fact it is taking over the presidency of the group for 2014.

Other leaders addressed the world's media at the end of the two-day summit in St Petersburg but Foreign Minister Bob Carr initially delayed and then cancelled his appearance.

Puzzled foreign journalists were left to ask Australian reporters whether Senator Carr would be talking at any point.

A spokesman for the minister later justified the decision not to hold an official media briefing by stating: 'Australia is represented in the joint statement issued at the end of the conference.'

Australia was criticised earlier in the week for sending Senator Carr to Russia instead of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who has been campaigning ahead of Saturday's election.

Apart from taking charge of the G20 from December, Australia is currently the temporary president of the UN Security Council.

The G20 helps set the global economic agenda but this year's summit was dominated by debate over how best to handle the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Russia and China have used their veto power on the council to defeat resolutions that would have put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Washington has accused Moscow of holding the UN Security Council 'hostage' by blocking action on Syria following its alleged use of chemical weapons during an attack on a Damascus suburb just over a fortnight ago.

President Barack Obama on Friday said the US had to act outside the UN because the international community was 'stuck' with the security council 'in paralysis'.

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Australia leaves G20 without a word