German Chancellor backs UK's aid scheme for Africa

German Chancellor backs UK's aid scheme for Africa

Government plans to increase global help to Africa were today given support at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he welcomed Gordon Brown's plan to raise an extra 50 billion US dollars a year through a bond-issue International Finance Facility (IFF).

France and Italy have already expressed their approval of the IFF and now Germany have followed suit.

Chancellor Schroeder said:

"I think the proposals of the British Government are good and therefore we should discuss them properly and hopefully implement some of them during the G8 summit (in July)."

Meanwhile Gordon Brown is himself addressing the World Economic Forum to talk about Africa.

The Prime Minister gave his own speech to the assembled politicans and business leaders and then held a press conference with business tycoon Bill Gates and rock icon Bono.

He said the difficulties of Africa were something the British people 'felt passionately' about and that a unique opportunity existed during the UK's presidency of the G8 to tackle the problems.

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