G8 trumpets Africa aid deal as summit ends

By Madeline Chambers and Gernot Heller

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (Reuters) - World powers on Friday pledged $60 billion to fight AIDS and other diseases ravaging Africa but development campaigners complained the Group of Eight had offered little fresh cash for the poor.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting G8 leaders and heads of five African states, trumpeted the agreement as a showpiece achievement of the three-day summit, along with Thursday's deal to push for greenhouse gas emissions cuts.

"We are conscious of our obligations and want to fulfill the promises we made. And we will do that," said Merkel. "We also gave a push to the fight against AIDS," she told reporters.

Despite deals on aid and climate, cracks showed in the united front leaders tried to present, with tension between an emboldened Russia and an alarmed West never far from the surface.

Russian President Vladimir Putin refused French entreaties to accept the independence of Kosovo. He told President George W. Bush to scrap plans to put anti-missile equipment in central Europe and use Russian facilities instead.

Putin, who is due to step down next year, ended the summit by warning foreigners not to meddle in Russia's elections after hearing concern from G8 leaders about the erosion of freedoms.

British leader Tony Blair, who steps down this month, said he did not expect tension with Russia to diminish soon. London wants the suspected murderer of poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko extradited. Putin has called the request foolish.

FALLING SHORT

G8 leaders said they would provide at least $60 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, global diseases that have devastated African countries and their economies.

But the declaration set no specific timetable, saying the money would flow "over the coming years". Neither did it break down individual countries' contributions or spell out how much of the sum had been previously promised.

"I am exasperated," Irish rock star and anti-poverty campaigner Bono told Reuters. "I think it is deliberately the language of obfuscation. It is deliberately misleading."

Even G8 member Canada, attacked by campaigners for blocking a more ambitious deal, was critical, with a senior official saying the pledge was "an aspirational statement."

"The projection is based on an extrapolation into the future of existing funding," the official added.

President George W. Bush last week announced plans to double Washington's financial commitment to the anti-AIDS fight to $30 billion over five years, which was included in the G8's headline figure of $60 billion.

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