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G8 Bali mandate "minimum" summit result - Germany

29 May 2007 09:41:19 GMT
Source: Reuters

BERLIN, May 29 (Reuters) - Group of Eight (G8) countries must send a strong message about their desire to tackle global warming at a looming United Nations meeting in Bali, Germany's environment minister said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting a G8 summit in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm next week, but is struggling to convince Washington to sign up to firm targets to combat global warming.

"I think that at a minimum we could agree a clear mandate for the climate conference at the end of the year in Bali," Sigmar Gabriel told German television on Tuesday.

"So far, the United States is opposing this, but if we can achieve it, then Heiligendamm will have reached a breakthrough."

U.S. resistance has diminished hopes that the summit can pave the way for negotiations to expand and extend the Kyoto Protocol on climate change beyond 2012.

Washington is demanding that all quantitative targets for combating global warming be removed from a G8 draft communique prepared by the Germans and wants all references to the December Bali meeting watered down, according to a copy seen by Reuters.

"If we could agree on targets, then that would be the optimal result, but I am sceptical," Gabriel said.

"That is not absolutely necessary from my view, but at a minimum it must be clear that we are not letting another year go by without doing something."

G8 envoys met last week to try to iron out their differences on climate change but failed to bridge the gap, according to one official familiar with the talks.

They will meet again on Monday in Berlin, just two days before the summit begins, in another attempt to forge a compromise. Merkel is also expected to press her case at a lunch with U.S. President George W. Bush in Heiligendamm on June 6 before other leaders arrive.

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Last updated:Tue May 29 09:42:27 2007