Berlin expects Russia to ratify Kyoto

3 December 2003

BERLIN –
“We continue to assume that Russia will ratify Kyoto,” said Michael Schroeren, chief spokesman of Germany’s Environment Ministry.

Schroeren said Berlin was certain that Russian President Vladimir Putin – who is a close political ally of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder – would not pull back from ratifying Kyoto.

He played down comments by an economic adviser to Putin who was quoted Tuesday as saying Moscow planned to reject Kyoto because it would harm growth.

“We cannot go that far because it would restrict the tempo of our economic growth,” said Andrei Illarionov in remarks quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.

This justification was brushed aside by Schroeren who said Germany knew from experience that Kyoto was not a “strait-jacket for the economy.”

Failure of Russia to ratify Kyoto would torpedo the entire accord because Russia combined with the United States – which has rejected the pact – means meeting the 55 percent threshold of emissions from industrialized countries cannot be met.