Koizumi, Howard agree on Kyoto Protocol, E. Timor<\/p>\n
TOKYO (Agencies): Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
\nand his Australian counterpart John Howard agreed Friday to
\ncontinue cooperating to bring the United States back into the
\n1997 Kyoto Protocol on combatting global warming.<\/p>\n
During a meeting at his official residence in Tokyo, Koizumi
\ntold Howard that while Japan is committed to the goal of putting
\nthe Kyoto pact into effect in 2002, it still wants Washington to
\nreverse its stance and rejoin the agreement, a Japanese
\ngovernment spokesman said.<\/p>\n
The spokesman quoted Howard as saying Australia holds a
\nsimilar view and believes that without the participation of the
\nU.S. and developing nations, the world cannot create an effective
\nframework to combat global warming.<\/p>\n
The protocol, when in effect, would place binding limits on
\nemissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2
\npercent below 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012.<\/p>\n
The two leaders also agreed to cooperate in achieving
\nstability and reconstruction in East Timor, which will hold an
\nelection later this month for the territory's constituent
\nassembly, the Japanese government spokesman said.<\/p>\n
Howard arrived in Japan late Thursday. He was scheduled to
\nmeet Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka and Trade Minister Takeo
\nHiranuma before heading home later Friday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Canberra, the opposition Labor Party on Friday
\naccused Prime Minister John Howard of treating South Pacific
\nnations with contempt by refusing to attend an annual summit of
\nthe region's leaders.<\/p>\n
In a low key announcement, Howard's office said the prime
\nminister will not attend the 16-member Pacific Forum meeting
\nhosted this year by the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru in mid
\nAugust.<\/p>\n
\"Mr. Howard has treated the South Pacific with contempt this
\nyear, even failing to notify the Forum Secretariat or the host
\nnation before his office briefed the Australian media,\" said
\nLaurie Brereton, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman.<\/p>\n
Howard was visiting Japan on Friday and did not immediately
\nrespond to the criticism.<\/p>\n
The summit is an opportunity for the 14 smaller and largely
\nimpoverished island nations in the forum to gain the attention of
\ntheir larger, wealthier neighbors, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
As the largest and wealthiest nation in the South Pacific
\nregion, Australia has traditionally seen itself as playing an
\nimportant role in the development and security of its tiny
\nneighbors<\/p>\n
However, Brereton said Howard was signaling that Australia is
\nno longer bothered.<\/p>\n
\"Mr. Howard's failure to attend means that he will have
\nappeared at only three of the six forum meetings during his two
\nterms as prime minister,\" Brereton said.<\/p>\n
Brereton said Howard is unwilling to face the Pacific leaders
\nbecause of Australia's prominent role in watering down the Kyoto
\nProtocol on climate change which aims to cut greenhouse gas
\nemissions, attributed with global warming and rising sea levels.<\/p>\n
The Pacific islands, many of which only rise a few meters
\nabove the ocean, fear they will be the first and worst affected
\nby any rise in sea levels.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/koizumi-howard-agree-on-kyoto-protocol-e-timor-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}