Davos, Switzerland ? British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday the United States must do more to address the concerns of the rest of the world if it expects support for its own policies, and he cited global warming as a prime example.

“If America wants the rest of the world to be part of the agenda it has set, it must be part of their agenda, too,” he told the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, a gathering of 2,500 world political and business leaders.

Blair and French President Jacques Chirac, who appeared on a video link, both urged the world’s richest nations to provide billions of dollars to help developing countries combat AIDS, poverty and natural disasters.

Blair’s unusually sharp comments directed at the United States come at a time of growing public anger in Britain over his support for President Bush in Iraq, and months before British general elections.

Alluding to one of the key issues dividing the United States from Europe and much of the world, Blair said: “I support the Kyoto Protocol. Others will not … but business and the global economy need to know this isn’t an issue that is going away.”

The British leader added, however, that Bush’s speech at his second term inauguration last week indicated “there is a wish to reunify” in Washington.

The World Economic Forum has taken on increased importance in recent years as globalization and common threats — from terrorism to increased vulnerability to natural disasters — have made nations more dependent on one another.

Chirac alluded to such interdependence, saying that natural disasters, political unrest, uncontrolled migration and extremism are “breeding grounds for terrorism.”

In his first term, Bush worked hard to rally international opinion behind the fight against terrorism — but his administration also abandoned the 1997 Kyoto climate change agreement, arguing it would hurt American industry.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks during the opening session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Business and political leaders began the first of five days of meetings Wednesday. They will discuss issues ranging from China's economic power to Iraq's future after Sunday's elections.

Blair said the United States and other leading industrialized nations must give a clear signal this year that they are serious about cutting greenhouse gases.

“We need to send a clear signal that whilst we continue to analyze science … we are united in moving in the direction of greenhouse gas reductions,” Blair said.

The forum has been a favorite of top U.S. administration officials in recent years, including Vice President Dick Cheney and former President Clinton, but this year’s event will be dominated by European leaders as key American officials stay away because of personnel changes in the Bush administration, organizers said. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is scheduled to attend, the only member of Bush’s Cabinet.