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Blair says US involvement on climate change vital
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday it was vital that the United States was involved in international dialogue on climate change. ``Climate change is, in my view, long term, the single biggest issue that we face,'' Blair told the House of Commons, after returning from talks in Washington with US President George W. Bush. ``The brutal truth is, without America in a process of dialogue and action in the international community, we are not going to make progress on it.'' Tackling global warming is a priority for Britain's presidency of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, as well as lifting Africa out of poverty. Although Blair returned from Washington optimistic of a deal on debt relief, agreement with the United States on global warming remains unlikely. Blair has conceded he has no chance of persuading Bush - who questions scientists' view that manmade pollutants are responsible for increasing temperatures - to back the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. At a joint news conference Tuesday, Bush defended his position, saying America was at the forefront of climate research and the development of technology to reduce emissions. Blair insisted he would continue to engage with Washington on the issue, ahead of the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, next month. ``I will be doing my very best to persuade the United States and other countries that it is important that we take action on this issue,'' Blair told the Commons. |
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