The trio were due to be joined on stage by Microsoft billionaire -- a major philanthropic donor for the global fight against HIV/AIDS and the singer Bono, who has waged an uncompromising campaign for debt relief, and former US President Bill Clinton.

Blair opened the forum's annual meeting of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos on Wednesday with an impassioned pledge to champion the drive against climate change and poverty during his presidency of the Group of Eight industralised countries this year.

On climate change, he hinted at forthcoming proposals to harness science and technology to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions thought to trigger climate change.

Developing and implementing technological solutions to cut pollution would also boost economies, and the G8 should help the Chinese and Indian economies to achieve low-pollution growth, Blair told the meeting.

While acknowledging a divide over the causes of global warming, he said the G8 had to send a "clear signal" of unity in cutting emissions.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan was also due to join the fray Thursday with some 2,200 business exceutives and more than 70 cabinet ministers and government chiefs.

Aziz was expected alongside his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Nasouf Nazif, Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebetekar in an open debate on economic growth and governance in the Islamic world.

India's commerce minister, Kamal Nath, was also expected in a cold and snowbound Davos, as trade ministers and the World Trade Organisation chief, Supachai Panitchpakdi, started to gather ahead of an informal mini-ministerial meeting on Saturday.

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