Bush, Blair meet at White House, differ on Africa

President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday sought to paper over differences over Mr Blair's ambitious plan for Africa with a more modest agreement to help out on famine relief.

The two leaders, both faced with skepticism at home over their handling of the Iraq war, held their first talks since Mr Blair emerged from elections a month ago with a third term but weakened politically.

Mr Bush and Mr Blair were also discussing debt relief for Africa, in addition to efforts to train Iraqi troops against a violent insurgency, and attempts to contain Iran's nuclear programme and the prospects for Middle East peace.

On debt relief, Mr Blair expressed optimism ahead of the meeting. "We are a significant way towards a deal. I'm increasingly hopeful we will get it," he told reporters.

Mr Blair came looking for support for his initiative to boost financial aid for Africa at a Group of Eight summit he is to stage in Gleneagles, Scotland, next month.

But Mr Blair said there was no chance of Mr Bush supporting Britain's International Finance Facility, which would double aid for poor countries by issuing bonds against the future aid budgets of rich nations.

"There are certain things we know they are not going to do, that we are not asking them to do," Mr Blair said in an interview with the Financial Times.

"We are not asking them to sign up to the IFF... They are not going to do that and they've made that clear right from the very beginning."

A Mr Blair spokesman said before the visit began that the two leaders did agree on other ways to tackle Africa's problems.

In what appeared to be a gesture to a close ally, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the two leaders would announce a joint British-US initiative aimed at feeding the hungry in Ethiopia, Eritrea and other African nations threatened by famine.

The US contribution would include $674 million - enough to feed 14 million people - and a significant commitment will also be made by the British, Mr McClellan said.

"We welcome what the administration has done but there is a lot more that needs to be done," said Mr Blair, who vowed to press on.

Britain's finance facility plan envisions raising $25 billion to $50 billion a year by selling bonds on global capital markets.

Mr Bush made clear his position last week, saying the proposal "doesn't fit our budgetary process".

"I think you need to go back and look at what we are doing. We will continue to provide significant resources to help developing countries in Africa," Mr McClellan said.