HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, 9 June 2007 — The Group of Eight industrial powers yesterday pledged $60 billion to fight AIDS in Africa on the final day of their annual summit.
The world’s wealthiest nations also warned Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs and backed action against “the perpetrators of atrocities” in Darfur in their closing declaration.
Summit host Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said G-8 leaders had taken “far-reaching” decisions during the three days, which also saw an important climate accord, but activists led by rock singer Bono blasted the decisions taken.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki and China’s President Hu Jintao were among leaders from emerging nations who were in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm for talks that focused on aid for the developing world.
Merkel hailed the plan to give $60 billion to Africa to combat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The G-8 also renewed a commitment made two years ago to increase other aid to Africa by $50 billion a year by 2010. “We are aware of our obligations and would like to fulfill promises,” Merkel said.
US President George W. Bush, who was sick and missed the morning session, unveiled the main thrust of the AIDS initiative in May. The $60 billion includes $30 billion already earmarked by Washington. Japan, which will host next year’s G-8 summit, said it would put Africa at the top of the agenda for its presidency of the group.
U2 rock singer Bono, who has been in Heiligendamm to lobby the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, accused the powers of using “bureau-babble” to hide their failed promises to Africa.
“They say $60 billion for AIDS, TB and malaria and it sounds great, but that’s not earmarked for Africa, it’s a global figure and there’s no timeline.” Bono said the money was more than a statistic. “These are hospitals without the electricity or clean water they’ve been promised, schools without roofs. Mothers without vaccinations for their children.”
Anti-poverty group ActionAid condemned the failure to meet a pledge made at the 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, to provide universal access to medication for all AIDS patients.
“This is devastating news for the 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS,” the group said.
The G-8 final declaration warned Iran and North Korea over their nuclear ambitions and Sudan over “atrocities” in the Darfur conflict. The statement “deplored” Iran’s failure to comply with UN Security Council demands that it end uranium enrichment. It said it would support “adopting further measures” unless Iran fulfilled its obligations. The G-8 leaders urged North Korea — which shocked the world by testing a nuclear weapon last year — to refrain from any new nuclear test or missile launch and to abandon all nuclear weapons and nuclear programs “in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.”
Russia blocked Kosovo’s bid for independence from Serbia in a public setback for Western leaders who support it and want action this month. President Putin refused to back down from his insistence that there can be no resolution of Kosovo’s status without the agreement of Serbia, and he warned that undermining state sovereignty was a dangerous step.
Putin also said that the United States should think about locating anti-missile interceptors in NATO member Turkey or even in Iraq. “You could put them in the south,” Putin told journalists. “I’m talking hypothetically, but this could be allies of the United States in NATO. Let’s say Turkey, or even Iraq.”
Demonstrations that have dogged the summit eased yesterday. Greenpeace activists tried to fly a hot air balloon over the meeting hotel but were forced to land by police.
A protester accusing Putin of tyranny disrupted a press conference by the Kremlin leader. The Russian yelled in German as he hurled dozens of leaflets titled: “Tyranny under mask of democracy.”
