AKIPRESS.COM - International leaders gathering at the G7 summit are reportedly nearing an agreement to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest, BBC reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday a deal to provide "technical and financial help" was close.

Leaders from the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Canada continue their meeting in the seaside town of Biarritz on Monday.

It comes amid international tension over record fires burning in Brazil.

Critics have accused Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro, of "green lighting" the Amazon's destruction through anti-environmental rhetoric and a lack of action on deforestation violations.

The severity of the fires, and his government's response, has prompted global outcry and protests.

President Macron last week described the fires as an "international crisis" and pushed for them to be prioritised at the G7 summit this weekend.

On Sunday he said the leaders are "all agreed on helping those countries which have been hit by the fires as fast as possible.

"Our teams are making contact with all the Amazon countries so we can finalise some very concrete commitments involving technical resources and funding."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would provide £10m to protect the Amazon rainforest.