BRITAIN: Rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof urged world leaders yesterday to unite in the fight against the AIDS epidemic and to turn away from their disagreements over the war in Iraq.
After breakfast talks on Africa with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, at his office and residence in 10 Downing Street, Bono said there was a chance for Mr Blair to negotiate an agreement on the Aids crisis at the forthcoming G8 summit, which will take place in France.
He said: "The war against terrorism is bound up against the war on poverty. I did not say that, [US Secretary of State\] Colin Powell said that . . . the greatest weapon of mass destruction is the AIDS virus and when a military man says something like that you know you have to start paying attention."
He urged world leaders at the G8 summit to come to a final agreement on the war against AIDS and to "push a little away from their disagreement over the war in Iraq".
Bono and Geldof had a one-hour meeting with Mr Blair and his new international development secretary Baroness Amos, along with representatives of non-governmental organisations and academics. The meeting proceeds the G8 summit of the UK, the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Russia in Evian in two weeks time.