Official: Russia Moves Toward Ratifying Kyoto Protocol

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Official: Russia Moves Toward Ratifying Kyoto Protocol
VOA News
03 Dec 2003, 18:56 UTC

A senior Russian official has contradicted Tuesday's statements by a top
Kremlin aide and indicated that Russia is moving toward ratification of the
international treaty on reducing greenhouse gasses.


Deputy Economy Minister Mukhamed Tsikhanov said Wednesday in Moscow that the
Russian government will submit the Kyoto Protocol to parliament for approval
next year. He said it will be ratified if that is in Russia's interests.

Mr. Tsikhanov refused to comment on Tuesday's statement by Russian President
Vladimir Putin's top economic advisor, Andrei Illarionov, that in its
current form the Kyoto Protocol places undue limitations on Russia's
economic growth.


In September, Mr. Putin raised doubts about whether Russia would ratify the
document, saying Moscow would make a decision in line with its national
interests.

Russian approval is needed for the Kyoto protocol to go into effect, because
the agreement requires approval from countries responsible for 55 percent of
the world's emissions. Russia accounts for about 17 percent.


So far, 120 countries have ratified the protocol. The United States pulled
out of the agreement in 2001, saying it would harm the U.S. economy.

The Kyoto Protocol requires major industrialized countries to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions to below 1990 levels.


Tuesday, the European Union's environmental policy chief, Margot Wallstrom,
said that 13 of the 15 European countries that have already
signed the Kyoto Protocol will miss their 2010 target goals for greenhouse
gas reduction.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters