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Bono plays down deal hopes
Rock star Bono tonight delivered a downbeat assessment on the prospects of a G8 deal for African development.
After meeting with world leaders in Gleneagles, the U2 frontman said: “There is a sense that there is not a deal.”
The Irish musician said there had been “very tough meetings today, some risks being taken on both sides”.
But he added: “There is a sense that there is not a deal at the moment.
“A lot has been accomplished but there is no sense that there is a real deal, a 50 billion-dollar deal, we are not there on that.
“The trade language, we are not there on that.
“The debt stuff, we are there on that.
“It is tricky... These people are making very tricky choices back home.”
Bono singled out German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a man particularly under pressure as he faces forthcoming elections.
The German leader was “almost” ready to commit to 0.7% of national income in aid.
“We want to say to him, we know this is difficult, we know he’s going into an election, and we know the finance mechanism that has to be agreed for Germany to get to 0.7% is critical,” Bono said.
Chancellor Schroeder wants to support the French idea of an air tax to raise money for development but this is also a difficult idea to win over voters with at home, Bono added.
All the leaders needed to hear from their own voters that they wanted a deal done, he said.
“I’ve never felt it like this before. It is so important, still in the last 24 hours, that they hear from their constituents.
“There is still all to play for in the next 24 hours ... One last push.”
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=122037220&p=yzzx378xx
Rock star Bono tonight delivered a downbeat assessment on the prospects of a G8 deal for African development.
After meeting with world leaders in Gleneagles, the U2 frontman said: “There is a sense that there is not a deal.”
The Irish musician said there had been “very tough meetings today, some risks being taken on both sides”.
But he added: “There is a sense that there is not a deal at the moment.
“A lot has been accomplished but there is no sense that there is a real deal, a 50 billion-dollar deal, we are not there on that.
“The trade language, we are not there on that.
“The debt stuff, we are there on that.
“It is tricky... These people are making very tricky choices back home.”
Bono singled out German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a man particularly under pressure as he faces forthcoming elections.
The German leader was “almost” ready to commit to 0.7% of national income in aid.
“We want to say to him, we know this is difficult, we know he’s going into an election, and we know the finance mechanism that has to be agreed for Germany to get to 0.7% is critical,” Bono said.
Chancellor Schroeder wants to support the French idea of an air tax to raise money for development but this is also a difficult idea to win over voters with at home, Bono added.
All the leaders needed to hear from their own voters that they wanted a deal done, he said.
“I’ve never felt it like this before. It is so important, still in the last 24 hours, that they hear from their constituents.
“There is still all to play for in the next 24 hours ... One last push.”
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=122037220&p=yzzx378xx