The United States and Britain are working on a plan to provide full debt relief for African countries that are "on the path to reform," U.S. President George W. Bush has said. Bush's comment came after a Tuesday meeting at the White House with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is pushing an ambitious African aid plan as this year's chairman of the Group of Eight economic powers. "We ... agree that highly indebted developing countries that are on the path to reform should not be burdened by mountains of debt," Bush said at a joint news conference with Blair. "Our countries are developing a proposal for the G8 that will eliminate 100 percent of that debt," Bush was quoted as saying by CNN. The U.S. president said the plan would call for G8 nations to provide additional funding for the World Bank and the African Development Bank to protect these institutions. For his part, Blair said: "There is a real desire to make sure that we cancel the debt, and cancel the debt in such a way that it doesn't inhibit or disadvantage the international institutions." Bush has opposed key elements of the 10-year, $25 billion British plan, which would commit donor nations to double their aid to the poorest African nations. In a compromise, Bush pledged an additional $674 million for "humanitarian emergencies" in Africa. The money will be in addition to approximately $1.4 billion the Bush administration is spending on humanitarian needs this year, a National Security Council official said.
