THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Moscow, Russia)
| For
Immediate Release |
June 4 , 2000 |
JOINT STATEMENT
ON COOPERATION TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING
President of the United States Clinton and President of
the Russian Federation Putin reaffirm the commitment of the United States
and the Russian Federation to cooperate in taking action to reduce the
serious risks of global warming. They take note of the significant contributions
to environmental protection made by the U.S.-Russian Joint Commission
on Economic and Technical Cooperation under the co-chairmanship of Vice
President Gore and the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
The Presidents declare their conviction that national
and global economic growth can be achieved while continuing to protect
the global climate. They note with approval the close cooperation of
the two countries in multilateral negotiations to elaborate upon elements
of the Kyoto Protocol to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Presidents stress the importance of fully developing the Protocol's
flexibility mechanisms, including international emissions trading and
joint implementation, which are essential to achieving countries' greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions reduction commitments under the Protocol. They believe
transparent rules for these mechanisms must be developed.
The Presidents further note the potential of the Kyoto
Protocol mechanisms to promote investment in all areas where it is possible
to limit or reduce GHG emissions. They reaffirm the opposition of the
U.S. and Russian governments to proposals that limit the Kyoto Protocol
mechanisms by placing quantitative restrictions on the transfer of Parties'
assigned amounts. The Presidents reiterate the commitment of their governments
to work for agreement on these and other issues at the Sixth Meeting
of the Conference of the Parties taking place in The Hague in November
of this year.
Building upon previous joint accomplishments, the U.S.
and Russia plan to continue their cooperation on the problem of global
climate change.
President Clinton declares the intention of the Government
of the United States of America to continue cooperation with Russia
in the measurement and reporting of GHG emissions, the development of
market-based tools for managing those emissions, and the identification
of specific opportunities in Russia to further reduce or sequester those
emissions.
President Putin, noting the significant contributions
made by the Russian Federation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases,
declares the intention of the Russian Federation to expand and strengthen
the mutually-beneficial U.S.-Russian cooperation in the area of the
fight against global warming, paying special attention to the activities
of the Joint Russian-American Climate Policy Working Group.
Through these actions, Presidents Clinton and Putin express
their conviction that effective steps can be taken by political leaders,
and by leaders in scientific, business, and other circles, to protect
the planet that we share from the threat of global warming.
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