MELBOURNE: Bank Negara Malaysia's governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz is among the world's top central bankers arriving in Australia for a two-day meeting starting today in Sydney.
Representatives from 24 central banks and monetary authorities, including the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, will meet at a secret location, the Herald Sun reported.
Organised by the Bank for International Settlements last year, the talks are shrouded in secrecy, the newspaper said.
Speculation that US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will make an appearance could not be confirmed on Friday night.
The event will be dominated by Asian delegation and is expected to include the governors of the People's Bank of China, the Bank of Japan and the Reserve Bank of India.
A key part of the talks will be a special meeting of Asian central bankers chaired by Zeti.
The arrival of the high-powered gathering coincided with a fresh meltdown on world share markets, sparked by renewed concerns about global growth and sovereign debt, the newspaper said.
Asian share markets were also pummelled, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down almost 3 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slumping 3.3 per cent.
Australia's Treasurer Wayne Swan will address the central bank officials at a dinner tonight. - Bernama