Blair says Europe and America must work together

Amid disappointment from aid agencies, the prime minister trumpeted extra commitments to helping counter the blight of HIV/Aids in Africa.

And Mr Blair highlighted the involvement of developing countries at the Evian summit of the world's richest countries.

He and the other leaders also issued a joint warning to North Korea and Iran against developing nuclear weapons programmes.

As the stand-off over North Korea's intentions continues, the summit declaration urged the country to dismantle any nuclear weapons programmes to ensure "a comprehensive and peaceful solution".

The G8 would also "not ignore the proliferation implications of Iran's advanced nuclear programme", it said.

Health boost

Earlier, Mr Blair pointed to how developing countries had been involved directly in the summit.

"There is a sense of momentum and desire, to change the basic relationship (between the developed and developing worlds) to one of co-operation and partnership for the future," he said.

If we don't adapt quickly, we are not going to be able to survive economically in the changing world Tony Blair

There had been important preparations towards the World Trade Organisation talks being held in September.

And Europe was matching US commitments by "significantly increasing" its funding for the Global Health Fund and schemes to tackle HIV/AIDS, he said.

Mr Blair applauded the work of New Partnership for Africa's Development, which is working to boost African economies.

And the G8 had recognised the "immediate problem" of famine in Ethiopia.

"There is a new sense of urgency and commitment to tackle the problems there," he said.

Charities' fears

But a group of African leaders attending the summit has criticised the G8 for moving too slowly on debt relief.

Some aid agencies also fear the differences over the Iraq conflict, which G8 leaders say have been patched up, have overshadowed other crises.

British aid agency CAFOD said the summit was "big on good intentions but feeble on action".

Paul Ladd, Christian Aid's senior economist, said Mr Blair was right to focus on healing the rifts and discussing the action plan discussed at last year's G8 meeting.

"But a level playing field on trade will not be enough," he said. "African countries need unfair trade - they need the playing field to be tilted in their favour...

"At the moment, trade between Africa and the west is like an antelope and a giraffe feeding from a tree. You can make the ground beneath their feet level but the giraffe will still strip the tree bare."

Trans-Atlantic differences

At his news conference, Mr Blair was asked about French President Jacques Chirac's remark that he wanted to see a "multi-polar world" - seen as a warning against American unilateralism.

Mr Blair said: "It is very important that Europe works with the US leadership - I think President Chirac wants Europe to work with the US too."

As well as addressing the economic problems of developing nations, the G8 nations are concerned about slowdowns in their own economies.

Mr Blair said Europe recognised the need for structural economic reforms - and said the economic prospects were "very good".

"There is a clear recognition that, with globalisation and the new technologies, we have to adapt and change quickly," he said.

Those changes ranged across labour markets, healthcare and pension provision, he said.

"If we don't adapt quickly, we are not going to be able to survive economically in the changing world."