G8 leaders wrapped up their summit on
Friday that was overshadowed by terrorism, offering an "alternative to the
hatred" - a $50 billion aid package for Africa and up to $3 billion in
additional support for the Palestinians.
"We speak today in the shadow of
terrorism, but it will not obscure what we came here to achieve," UK Prime
Minister Tony Blair, the summit host, said at the close of the three-day
meeting.
"It is in the nature of politics
that we do not achieve absolutely everything we hope to achieve, but nonetheless
I believe we have made very substantial progress indeed," Blair said at a
closing news conference.
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| Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives at Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland at the start of the G8 Gleneagles Summit. Pictured being greeted by Peter Lederer MD of Gleneagles Hotel and Chairman of Visit Scotland |
Following a last-minute pledge from
Japan, Tony Blair won a key victory, announcing that aid to Africa would rise
from the current $25 billion annually to $50 billion by 2010.
In a separate joint statement on
terrorism, the G8 leaders made a commitment "to new joint efforts" to combat
terrorism in light of the London bombings. Among those commitments was
cooperating in ways to improve the safety of rail and subway travel.
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Blair was not able to get agreement
to get all the member countries to commit to increasing foreign aid to an amount
equal to 0.7% of national income by 2015. Instead, a summit document said the
European Union had agreed to that support but did not mention the United States.
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| George W Bush, President of the United States of America arrives at Prestwick Airport, near Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday 6th July 2005, ahead of the G8 Summit at Gleneagles |
President Bush refused to agree to
the 0.7% target. The United States' current aid levelis 0.16% of national
income, the smallest percentage of any of the G-8 countries.
Blair listed accomplishments from
the summit. However, President Bush's refusal to also support firm targets for
reducing so-called greenhouse gas emissions, twarted attempts to get the leaders
to agree on significant action on reducing global warming.
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| Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with G8 leaders |
The G8 leaders also indicated support for
new deals on trade, endorsing cancellation of the debts of 18 of the world's
poorest nations, pledging universal access to AIDS treatment, renewing their
commitment to a peacekeeping force in Africa and noting African leaders promise
to move toward democracies that follow the rule of law, Blair said.
"All of this does not change the
world tomorrow, it is a beginning, not an end," Blair said, with leaders of the
G-8 and five African nations standing behind him. "And none of it today will
match the same ghastly impact as the cruelty of terror. But it has a pride and a
hope and humanity at its heart that can lift the shadow of terrorism and light
the way to a better future."
Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo thanked the G8 leaders for focusing on Africa and for "their resolve
not to be diverted by these terrorist acts."
Blair said the Palestinian aid
package would total up to $3 billion "in the years to come." He said that the
assistance was designed "so that two states, Israel and Palestine, two peoples
and two religions can live side by side in peace."
Blair said that the plan of action
on climate change "will initiate a new dialogue" between the summit countries
and leaders from developing economies who also met with them.
View the Summit
documents:
Gleneagles Summit 2005
documents
