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Blair Meets Geldof to Discuss African Aid
Prime Minister Tony Blair met Tuesday with Bob Geldof , the Irish pop star turned activist who drew attention to Ethiopia's 1984 famine, to discuss Africa and wider development issues, officials said.
Geldof, organizer of the Live Aid concerts that raised millions of dollars for famine victims, wants Blair to make Africa the centerpiece of Britain's presidencies of the European Union and the G-8 nations next year.
Together with Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, they held a private 45-minute meeting at Blair's Downing Street office Tuesday.
"They had a useful discussion of development issues, including the situation in Africa, looking ahead to the UK's EU and G-8 presidencies in 2005," a Blair aide said on customary condition of anonymity.
Geldof has accused the Group of Eight nations ? Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States ? of not doing enough to tackle the crisis of HIV /AIDS in Africa.
He wants them to forgive billions of dollars in African debt and lift agricultural subsidies that keep African produce like cotton out of important industrial markets.
Blair's official spokesman declined to say how the prime minister would respond to Geldof's request to make Africa the central theme of Britain's 2005 presidencies of the international bodies.
-- Associated Press
Prime Minister Tony Blair met Tuesday with Bob Geldof , the Irish pop star turned activist who drew attention to Ethiopia's 1984 famine, to discuss Africa and wider development issues, officials said.
Geldof, organizer of the Live Aid concerts that raised millions of dollars for famine victims, wants Blair to make Africa the centerpiece of Britain's presidencies of the European Union and the G-8 nations next year.
Together with Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, they held a private 45-minute meeting at Blair's Downing Street office Tuesday.
"They had a useful discussion of development issues, including the situation in Africa, looking ahead to the UK's EU and G-8 presidencies in 2005," a Blair aide said on customary condition of anonymity.
Geldof has accused the Group of Eight nations ? Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States ? of not doing enough to tackle the crisis of HIV /AIDS in Africa.
He wants them to forgive billions of dollars in African debt and lift agricultural subsidies that keep African produce like cotton out of important industrial markets.
Blair's official spokesman declined to say how the prime minister would respond to Geldof's request to make Africa the central theme of Britain's 2005 presidencies of the international bodies.
-- Associated Press
