Blair defends G8 deal

Last updated at 14:33 09 July 2005


Tony Blair has taken on critics of the G8 summit, saying it had secured "incredibly important" benefits for Africa.

Aid agencies have derided the deal centring on a £28.8 billion aid package for the impoverished continent.

They say more is needed, and have particularly criticised the lack of moves to end subsidies in western countries.

Environmentalists have questioned the agreements on climate change.

But the Prime Minister insisted African countries would receive a "huge benefit" from the Gleneagles agreement.

And he said "a pathway to consensus" had been forged on global warming.

The leaders of the world's eight richest nations promised a package of measures including a £28.8bn boost to aid, and debt-cancellation for the poorest nations.

They also plan to forge fairer trade deals in the future, to increase access to Aids treatment and to provide a £1.7 billion aid package to the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Blair said the summit had made real progress.

He said there was a commitment to ending all export subsidies by a "credible date".

He said the aid was "incredibly important" and would help African countries build vital infrastructure.

"The fact is that most of these countries - if we manage to get the aid flowing and they are abiding by the proper rules of governance - will receive a huge benefit from it," he said.

In an interview with BBC Radio Four's Today programme recorded on Friday night he also defended progress on climate change.

He said there had been a disagreement with the US over Kyoto. But the US was putting more money into researching and developing clean technology than any other country.

"The ambition I had for this summit in respect of climate change was limited. But in my view it offers a better way forward.

"It is to get people to accept there is a problem...agree we had to act urgently and most important of all to agree a process of dialogue that would involve not just America but also China and India and the emerging economies."

He said climate change could not be tackled if those emerging economies were not part of the deal.

The Prime Minister said the summit had achieved "a pathway to consensus".

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