Blair faces tough tasks before G8
Bush moves some way on Africa but not on climate change
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair was back in London Wednesday facing tough negotiations on deals to boost aid for Africa and curb global warming in time for next month's G8 summit in Scotland.
U.S. President George W. Bush moved towards Blair's position on writing off poor countries' debt and praised his close ally for pressing Africa's cause when they met in Washington Tuesday.
But Bush offered little to encourage Blair's hopes of mounting a joint international fight against global warming.
"Climate change is, in my view, long term, the single biggest issue that we face," Blair told the House of Commons Wednesday after returning from talks with Bush.
"The brutal truth is, without America in a process of dialogue and action in the international community, we are not going to make progress on it."
Blair travels next week to Moscow, Berlin and Paris to continue his whirlwind campaign to try to bring G8 leaders together on Africa aid and global warming -- two issues he sees as the centerpiece of Britain's year-long chairmanship of the leading nations club.
Bush said Tuesday the United States and Britain were working on a plan to provide full debt relief for African countries that are "on the path to reform."
"Our countries are developing a proposal for the G8 that will eliminate 100 percent of that debt," Bush said.
But the U.S. president has opposed key elements of a 10-year, $25 billion British plan that would commit donor nations to double their aid to the poorest African nations.
In a compromise, Bush pledged an additional $674 million for "humanitarian emergencies" in Africa.
Bush's response to Blair's push for more aid for Africa received a mixed response, with aid agencies saying the amounts promised were inadequate.
Jonathan Glennie, a senior policy analyst from Christian Aid, told the UK's Press Association the deal on debt was "very good news for some of Africa's poorest countries and it is definitely a move in the right direction."
But he added: "The sum of $674 million is a drop in the ocean compared to what Africa really needs." (Full story)
Blair's opposite number in the House of Commons, Conservative Party leader Michael Howard, praised Blair's efforts with Bush on Africa at Prime Minister's Questions, though he said it was also vital to lift unnecessary trade barriers.
And leading Africa campaigner Bob Geldof, the man behind the upcoming Live 8 concerts, said he was encouraged by the outcome of Blair and Bush's meeting.
"Blair went to Washington and there were lots of signals saying it was all a disaster, but I think the U.S. and UK have got an agreement on debt relief," he told the BBC.
"With regard to doubling of aid, the Americans were never going to come that far, because the American economy is so bad."
Nevertheless, despite progress on Africa, Blair returned from Washington conceding he has no chance of persuading Bush -- who questions scientists' view that manmade pollutants are responsible for increasing temperatures -- to back the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
At a joint news conference Tuesday, Bush defended his position, saying America was at the forefront of climate research and the development of technology to reduce emissions.
Blair insisted he would continue to engage with Washington on the issue ahead of the G8 summit.
"I will be doing my very best to persuade the United States and other countries that it is important that we take action on this issue," Blair told the Commons.
This year's G8 summit of the world's leading industrialized nations is scheduled for July 6-8 in Scotland.
Besides Britain and the United States, the other members are France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia. The European Union also sends a delegation to G8 summits.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
