Davos: Schroeder backs UK Africa debt-reducation plan

[Kellanved]

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 28 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Friday backed British proposals for wealthy nations to cut Africa's debt but was more cautious on a French call for an international tax to fund the fight against AIDS.

Addressing the World Economic Forum, Schroeder said there was a danger that a summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations in July would face "a kaleidoscope of proposals" to meet the U.N. Millennium development goals and fail to agree on any.

"The question is how on earth we can finance the Millennium targets. The British government has come in and made a proper proposal here. They have said we should have an International Financial Facility that will help us in the short run ensure we reach the Millennium goals with a greater degree of certainty," the German leader said.

World leaders set ambitious targets at a U.N. summit in 2000 for reducing poverty and disease and boosting access to clean water and education by 2015, but a review summit in September will be told that progress has been far too slow.

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Germany's Schroeder set to back Chirac AIDS tax - newspaper
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will back French President Jacques Chirac's proposed international tax to fight AIDS, a German newspaper said on Thursday.

Schroeder is to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Friday and Der Tagesspiegel said he would then express his support for Chirac's idea that such a tax could be set on international financial transactions.

Chirac made his proposals at a video link-up to Davos on Wednesday, saying the levy could also apply to fuel for air and sea transport or could be added to airline ticket prices.

Chirac said the levy could generate $10 billion a year to be used in the fight against AIDS.

The German newspaper said Schroeder was in favour of discussions with fellow members of the G7 group of rich nations.

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