As leaders of the world's richest nations arrived for the G8 summit, intense behind-the-scenes talks continued over the level of development aid to be announced in the final communique. Deaglán de Bréadún reports from Gleneagles
Under pressure from public opinion and the Make Poverty History campaign, British prime minister Tony Blair was struggling to achieve his target of a $50 billion aid increase.
Already the aid level has been brought up to $42 billion, and the major question now is whether the target level can be reached before the final communique is issued at the end of the three-day summit tomorrow.
A spokesman for Mr Blair confirmed that negotiations were continuing.
"We are still making progress," he told The Irish Times. "We are not there yet."
While a sum of $25 billion had been secured for Africa, Downing Street was pressing for agreement on an overall aid increase of $50 billion "worldwide".
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso announced a rise in EU "aid for trade" from €700 million to €1 billion a year.
He described this as "a significant boost for aid for trade, aimed at helping developing countries help themselves by enabling them to turn market opportunities into reality".
At an emotion-charged press conference in the Gleneagles media centre, Irish rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof spoke of their meetings with the different leaders who had arrived for the summit.
"There is a sense that there is not a deal at the moment," Bono said.
There was no sense of a "real deal" on the $50 billion figure. The G8 leaders were being forced to make very difficult decisions that could mean funding a hospital for the Nigerian city of Abuja instead of Aberdeen.
"There is a lot at stake," he said. It was not only the lives of people in Africa but "faith in the political process itself" and the usefulness of positive, peaceful protest.
The alternative could be seen during the week when cars and shop fronts were smashed.
"I would like to think our way is better."
They had met German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who was "ready to commit" his government to an increase in overseas development aid "almost" to the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP even though it would probably cause him political difficulties.
Urging campaigners to continue lobbying their political leaders even now, Bono said it was "all to play for". He added: "I do really believe we can get to 50 ."
Sir Bob Geldof said they had spoken to Mr Blair, who said there was "fairly hard pounding ahead".
He added: "I have a sense of tension and not complacency at all."
Pointing to the huge turnout for the Live8 concert in Berlin last weekend, he said there was "a sense" in Germany that, despite their internal economic problems, "this is a moment for looking upwards and outward".
Geldof said he would be performing to 50,000 at a concert later in the evening at Murrayfield but would be thinking at the same time about the 50,000 people who died needlessly in Africa every day.
He added that if there was no deal at this G8 meeting, arising out of the "personal passion and commitment" of Mr Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown, it would not happen at any future summit under a different G8 presidency. "This is it. This really is it."