Speaking at a press conference with Howard after breakfast talks at Downing Street, Blair said the situation in the southern African nation "remains a very serious situation indeed".
"There has not been real progress there at all, in our view," he said.
"We continue to have not merely a situation where there is a lack of proper democracy and a proper adherence to human rights, but also an appalling humanitarian situation there that is being exacerbated by the political situation," he said.
"We will work together and do everything we possibly can in order to try to bring in relief to people in Zimbabwe who are suffering so much," he added.
Howard called the situation in Zimbabwe "truly appalling. Unless a serious attempt at returning to democratic rule is made, there can be no question of Zimbabwe, in our view, being readmitted to the councils of the Commonwealth," the Australian leader said.
"Even more importantly than that, the suffering of the people, both black and white in Zimbabwe, is not only distressing but inexcusable and appalling and a terrible indictiment of somebody who is lost any pretense of governing for the welfare of the people of that country," he said.
Mugabe showed few signs of bending Tuesday when he laid out his conditions for resuming long-stalled talks with Zimbabwe's main opposition party, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, aimed at pulling the nation out of deep crisis.
Mugabe insisted his ZANU-PF party would not be involved in talks with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) unless he is recognised as the legal leader of the country and the MDC drops its litigation challenging the outcome of last year's presidential polls. - Sapa
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