         |
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.
Moscow
June 4, 2000 |
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