Bush misses G8 summit session after taking ill

Published on Friday 8 June 2007 11:58

US president George Bush has been taken ill at the G8 summit in Germany.

He was said to have come down with a stomach ailment and was resting in his room.

But the White House issued a statement saying Mr Bush's illness was "not serious".

President's spokesman Dan Bartlett said Mr Bush's doctor was monitoring the president's health and Mr Bush hoped to rejoin the other leaders at the summit.

The president was able to go ahead with an hour-long meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in his room.

Mr Bartlett joked that Bush was staying in his room because he didn't want to follow in the footsteps of his father, former President George HW Bush.

Mr Bush's father became ill and collapsed in the international spotlight in January 1992 during a summit in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the summit has agreed on a programme worth more than 30 billion to combat the spread of HIV/Aids in Africa.

Germany's development minister gave news of the pledge before the last day of talks between the G8 leaders got under way.