Blair and Berlusconi agree to increase on aid to Africa
Link: Blair and Berlusconi agree to increase on aid to Africa
At a meeting in Rome, Prime minister Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, agreed to increase aid to Africa and address climate change.
The meeting was the final stage of talks before the G8 industrialised nations meet at Gleneagles in Scotland, in July. The UK is currently president of the G8 group and will chair the summit.
Mr Blair is also planning to visit the US, Russia, France and Germany and will hold talks via a video link with Canada and Japan.
EU development ministers agreed, this week, to double aid to poorer nations, providing an extra £14bn annually in five years’ time. Some Italian opposition politicians question whether the country’s financial problems will mean its target will be hit.
Mr Berlusconi has assured Mr Blair of his own and his country’s support in favour of Mr Blair’s proposals. Mr Blair said that the new plans combined aid and debt with governance and conflict.
