Bush, Merkel vow G8 action to fight poverty, disagree on climate

HEILIGENDAMM, June 06 (Agencies) : Leaders from the world's key industrialised nations will vow joint action to fight poverty and HIV/AIDs, US President George W Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

But the US and German leaders, who met for bilateral talks ahead of the formal opening of the Group of Eight (G8) nations in Heiligendamm, admitted discord over measures to combat climate change.

The US offered reassurance Wednesday that its plan for fighting climate change would not undermine UN efforts but ruled out agreeing deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions at a G8 summit.

"This will fold into the UN framework," Bush told reporters of his plan announced last week to arrange talks by the top 15 emitters of greenhouse gases with the aim of agreeing long-term cuts by the end of 2008.

Many European nations had expressed concerns that Bush's plan might hijack UN talks on a global deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the main UN plan for cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, which runs to 2012.

'I come with a deep desire to make sure that those suffering from HIV/AIDS know that they will get help from the G8 and a deep desire to work with people around table to reduce malaria and feed the hungry,' said Bush.

The US president also voiced a 'strong desire' to work with G8 nations on a new agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on foreign oil supplies.

But Bush made no reference to Merkel's demands that G8 leaders commit to cutting global greenhouse gas emissions to 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 and limiting the worldwide temperature rise this century to 2 degrees Celsius.

Merkel, for her part, recognised that while the US and Germany agreed on combating poverty in Africa, there were other 'areas here and there' which needed further discussion.

US officials have said that the final G8 summit statement is unlikely to include any joint G8 target for slashing carbon dioxide emissions or restricting temperature increases.

Washington has said it prefers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of new technology and wants joint action on the question by the world's top polluters, including China and India.