Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) India, one of the four BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries, will play an important role in the process of arriving at a consensus at the UN climate change summit at Cancun later this year, Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa said Tuesday.
Espinosa, who is also chairperson of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said that Mexico is reaching out to all major and small countries ahead of the climate change talks.

“India has an important role to play in the climate change talks at Cancun. It is one of the big economies in the developing countries of the world and is taking a lead in this agenda,” she said.

Espinosa met Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Monday and discussed efforts to evolve consensus at the Cancun summit Nov 29-Dec 10.

“We conveyed our intention and interest (to India) assuring a transparent, open, comprehensive, inclusive exercise where everybody’s view and concern are taken into account,” she told reporters about her meeting with Ramesh.

The Mexican foreign minister made it clear that an agreement on climate change has to be arrived within the legal framework of Kyoto Protocol, the only legal binding agreement on climate change.

“There is some confusion about nature or objectives in framework of state parties. There has been an impression that we want to approve at a completely new treaty on climate change. We do have a legal frame work to force until collective decision to withdraw it or modify it is taken,” she said.

“Based on the legal framework we need to take immediate action towards fighting climate change and developed countries would be providing support in terms of financing and transfer of technology,” she added.

Replying to a question on delay of passage of US climate law affecting the Cancun talks, Espinosa said: “Of course it is a challenge but US President Barack Obama is trying to fasten the process.”