Harper, French president meet in Paris

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he had an amicable meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Tuesday, despite apparent disagreements on climate change and Afghanistan.

Harper said he had no fears about two of the promises the newly elected president has made— a pullout of French troops from Afghanistan and an import tax on countries that don't respect the Kyoto accord.

While Harper said the two are on the same page on both issues, the prime minister told a German business lunch on Monday that Canada couldn't meet its commitments under Kyoto.

Sarkozy, who was elected last month,ran on a platform of slapping an import tax on countries that shirk their Kyoto responsibilities.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who also met Harper on Tuesday, said France's carbon-tax policy is not aimed at Canada.

Fillonalso said while France does want to pull its troops out of Afghanistan, where more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers are serving, the withdrawal wouldn't be imminent.

Sarkozy greeted Harper on the steps of the presidential palace before the twowalked through the streets of Paris to a restaurant in Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the city's fashion district, where they had lunch.

Surrounded by television cameras and photographers, the leaders shook hands with passersby and waved to onlookers. At one point, Sarkozy pulled Harper aside to posefor a woman to snap aphotograph.

PM rejects Geldof allegations

A day earlier, Harper defended Canada's commitment to Africa, dismissing allegations from anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof that Canada is blocking a deal on African aid.

"The allegations are false," Harper said from Germany, where he attended a Canada-European Union meeting.

G8 host country Germany is pushing for a renewal of an earlier pledge to double aid to Africa. In 2005, the leaders of the world's leading industrialized countries agreed to increase aid to Africa by $50 billion by 2010.

Irish rocker Geldof on Monday said Canada is trying to curtail that plan by insisting there be no fixed dollar figure for aid.Geldof organized the Live-Aid and Live-8 anti-poverty concerts.

But Harper denied the allegations and said Canada is on track to honour its pledge.

"Canada made a commitment in 2005 and we're on track for meeting that commitment," said Harper.

"We're aiming for the fiscal year 2010-2011, we're on track to do to that. We've increased our foreign aid in our budgets since we came to office," he said.

Anti-poverty campaigners have been urging rich countries to increase their foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GDP.

The three-day G8 summit, in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm, has drawn thousands of anti-globalization protesters to Rostock, the nearest city to the meeting venue.