Fairy godmother, David Cameron |
Barack Obama has asked U.S. allies gathered at the G8 summit to back his calls to provide financial assistance to Tunisia and Egypt, countries at the forefront of the Arab Spring uprisings.
The U.S. President said both countries will need help stabilising and modernising their economies as they attempt to transition to democracy.
David Cameron echoed Obama's sentiments at today's summit in Deauville, saying the Arab Spring could breed 'poisonous extremism' and immigration if wealthy nations do not step in to help fledgling democracies.
The Prime Minister called on his fellow leaders to demonstrate they were 'on the side' of reforming countries such as Egypt and Tunisia.
'We will help you build your democracy, we will help your economies, we will help you build trade, we will help you in all the ways we can because the alternative to a successful democracy is more of the poisonous extremism that has done so much damage in our world.'
'I want a very simple and clear message to come out of this summit, and that is that the most powerful nations on earth have come together and are saying to those in the Middle East and North Africa who want greater democracy, greater freedom, greater civil rights, we are on your side,' Mr Cameron said in a round of interviews.
Mr Cameron defended spending UK money on aid at a time when the government is implementing austerity measures.
'What I would say to everybody about the issue of overseas aid is that there is a real case for saying if you can secure greater democracy and freedom in countries like Egypt and Tunisia, that is good for us back at home,' he said.
'That will mean less extremism, it will mean more peace and prosperity, it will mean there will not be the pressure on immigration that may otherwise face our country.
'These things are not just good for the countries we are talking about, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, they are good for Europe, they are good for us in the UK.
'That is why what we are talking about today and tomorrow here at the G8 in Deauville really matters.'
The uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East have so far dominated the two-day G8 gathering.
The funding scheme is to be modelled on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which helped build market economies and democracies in post-communist Europe.
Washington has been calling for 'debt swaps', where wealthier nations agree to convert sums they are owed by countries that are implementing change - such as Egypt - into investments.
There will also be pressure for more practical advice and assistance as the states try to build up democratic institutions.
The G8 - made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and America - is due to be briefed tomorrow from the recently-installed prime ministers of Egypt and Tunisia, Essam Sharaf and Beji Caid el Sebsi.
This is who the British tax payer will be funding to find 'democracy' |
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