WASHINGTON - President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said they were close to a deal on Tuesday on a plan that would cancel 100 percent of Africa's debt, while failing to agree on Blair's ambitious proposal to dramatically increase new assistance for Africa.

At a news conference after their talks, the two leaders said they hoped to present the plan to leaders at a Group of Eight summit next month in Gleneagles, Scotland.

Both leaders said only those countries who stamped out corruption would benefit. Bush said "highly indebted developing countries that are on the path to reform should not be burdened by mountains of debt."

"I see we've got a fantastic opportunity, presuming that the countries in Africa make the right decisions. Nobody wants to give money to a country that's corrupt, where leaders take money and put it in their pocket," Bush said.

Blair said, "We're well on the way to agreement" on African debt relief and that once the United States and Britain reach a common position, then "we need to get the agreement of others."

The two leaders were not specific, but a senior Bush administration official said it applied to debt held by international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Paying the interest on billions of dollars in debt is cited by experts as a major obstacle to the ability of African governments to spend money for their peoples' education, health care and other social needs.

Blair failed to enlist Bush's support on a proposal to give Africa as much as $50 billion a year by making long-term aid commitments that would allow poor countries to raise money on global capital markets.

'Different Perspectives'

Blair also got no concession from Bush on his campaign for a global commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. Bush said he was investing millions of dollars in climate change research and taking other steps to address the problem.

"We want to know more about it," said Bush, who withdrew the United States from the Kyoto treaty aimed at attacking the problem early in his first term.

Blair admitted differences, saying, "I think everyone knows there are different perspectives on this issue." He insisted there was a "common commitment" to tackle the problem.

The two leaders, close allies on the Iraq war, were united in rejecting the so-called Downing Street memo of July 2002 in which a British intelligence official said "intelligence and facts" were being fixed by Washington and London to make the case for war in Iraq, eight months before the U.S.-led invasion.

"No, the facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all," said Blair, who noted the memo was written before the United States and Britain went to the United Nations seeking support for action against Saddam Hussein.

Both leaders have suffered politically at home for the decision to go to war against Iraq without broader international support and with the absence of weapons of mass destruction.

On African aid, Bush pledged $674 million to ease famine in Ethiopia, Eritrea and other countries, and Blair promised $300 million, $50 million of that for Ethiopia, according to the White House. The money was reallocated from previously existing budgets.

"And so when I say we're going to do more, I think you can take that to the bank, as we say, because of what we have done," Bush said.

He praised Irish rock star Bono for his activism on this issue. "I admire him. He is a man of depth and a great heart, who cares deeply about the impoverished folks on the continent of Africa," he said.

Various organizations criticized the Washington announcement of $674 million as inadequate.

"Once again the Bush administration seeks to promote a 'compassionate conservative' image by repackaging old money for Africa, and once again greater scrutiny reveals this image to be disingenuous," said Salih Booker, executive director of the lobby group Africa Action.

Blair has staked his reputation on helping Africa during Britain's presidency of the G8 group of rich nations.

He has already had talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and will visit the leaders of France, Germany and Russia in the run-up to next month's summit.

The White House said Bush discussed the G8 agenda in a brief phone call with Berlusconi.