Blair wants India to be included in G8

British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants India, along with 4 other developing countries, to be included in G8 for securing multilateral deals on climate change, trade and a common line on Iran.

Blair, in an interview to 'The Guardian', said he will press for the extension of G8 to G13 by including India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico in the upcoming summit at St Petersburg.

With India and Brazil playing a key role in the trade talks, the first fruits of a closer engagement with these countries could be a breakthrough on Monday in these stalled talks, Blair said.

The British Prime Minister also pointed out, the push for a successor to the Kyoto treaty on climatic change would be enhanced by the inclusion of the 5 leading developing countries.

"There is no way we can deal with climate change unless we get an agreement that binds in the US, China and India," Blair said.

"We have got to get an agreement with a binding framework - of that I am in no doubt at all.

There is no point in thinking Congress is going to enter a binding commitment to change the structure of the US economy without China and India being part of the deal," he said.

Calling Iran a "test case for new multilateralism" he said, "If we cannot come together and agree a common line on Iran, which is a global threat, it is damaging."

Leaders of these developing nations are also attending the summit for an outreach session.