Koizumi, Howard agree on Kyoto Protocol, E. Timor

Koizumi, Howard agree on Kyoto Protocol, E. Timor

TOKYO (Agencies): Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
and his Australian counterpart John Howard agreed Friday to
continue cooperating to bring the United States back into the
1997 Kyoto Protocol on combatting global warming.

During a meeting at his official residence in Tokyo, Koizumi
told Howard that while Japan is committed to the goal of putting
the Kyoto pact into effect in 2002, it still wants Washington to
reverse its stance and rejoin the agreement, a Japanese
government spokesman said.

The spokesman quoted Howard as saying Australia holds a
similar view and believes that without the participation of the
U.S. and developing nations, the world cannot create an effective
framework to combat global warming.

The protocol, when in effect, would place binding limits on
emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2
percent below 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012.

The two leaders also agreed to cooperate in achieving
stability and reconstruction in East Timor, which will hold an
election later this month for the territory's constituent
assembly, the Japanese government spokesman said.

Howard arrived in Japan late Thursday. He was scheduled to
meet Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka and Trade Minister Takeo
Hiranuma before heading home later Friday.

Meanwhile in Canberra, the opposition Labor Party on Friday
accused Prime Minister John Howard of treating South Pacific
nations with contempt by refusing to attend an annual summit of
the region's leaders.

In a low key announcement, Howard's office said the prime
minister will not attend the 16-member Pacific Forum meeting
hosted this year by the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru in mid
August.

"Mr. Howard has treated the South Pacific with contempt this
year, even failing to notify the Forum Secretariat or the host
nation before his office briefed the Australian media," said
Laurie Brereton, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman.

Howard was visiting Japan on Friday and did not immediately
respond to the criticism.

The summit is an opportunity for the 14 smaller and largely
impoverished island nations in the forum to gain the attention of
their larger, wealthier neighbors, Australia and New Zealand.

As the largest and wealthiest nation in the South Pacific
region, Australia has traditionally seen itself as playing an
important role in the development and security of its tiny
neighbors

However, Brereton said Howard was signaling that Australia is
no longer bothered.

"Mr. Howard's failure to attend means that he will have
appeared at only three of the six forum meetings during his two
terms as prime minister," Brereton said.

Brereton said Howard is unwilling to face the Pacific leaders
because of Australia's prominent role in watering down the Kyoto
Protocol on climate change which aims to cut greenhouse gas
emissions, attributed with global warming and rising sea levels.

The Pacific islands, many of which only rise a few meters
above the ocean, fear they will be the first and worst affected
by any rise in sea levels.