Tony Blair, the outgoing British prime minister, says he fully supports efforts by President Thabo Mbeki and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to mediate a solution for Zimbabwe.
Blair says there must be a regional solution to Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis. The British leader held bilateral talks with Mbeki at the conclusion of his two-day official visit to South Africa. The bilateral meeting at the Union Buildings allowed Mbeki to update Blair on his mediating efforts in Zimbabwe. Blair says the only thing that mattered was the plight of Zimbabwe's people.
The two leaders discussed trade and political relations between the two nations. Developments around the African continent and the G8 summit next week featured high on the agenda and climate change. Blair is wrapping up his farewell tour to Africa today. The United Kingdom is the largest investor in South Africa with about R175 billion worth of investment.
World at critical point
Blair says the world stands at a critical point with regard to Africa's development and climate change. Blair says that while the world's industrialised nations have fulfilled some promises to Africa, they can do a lot more. He also says that for the first time, the world has an opportunity to strike a global agreement on climate change that would include the United States.
For a moment, the green lawns of the Union Buildings were almost invisible in the thick white cloud of gun powder. The Presidential Guard of Honour and Defence Force saluted Blair, who has been in the thick of international developments for 10 years. Mbeki thanked Blair for his bold stance on Africa. At the G8 summit meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, two years ago, Blair was instrumental in getting the industrialised nations to commit to greater assistance for Africa.
Mbeki says it would be a good farewell present for Blair, if the G8 leaders accelerated their undertakings at their meeting in Germany next week. Blair says a lot had happened since the Gleneagles meeting, but much more could be done. He acknowledged US president George Bush's call for the world's major economies to agree on long-term targets to curb greenhouse gasses.
Blair's visit provided a glimpse of the line that he is likely to take on Africa and climate change at the upcoming G8 meeting. That gathering will be Blair's last key international engagement before he steps down on June 27.
