BASIC countries favours Kyoto Protocol to remain effective post Copenhagen:India

Copenhagen, Dec.18 (ANI): India on Friday said that BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) favours remaining in the parameters of the UN framework convention on the climate change and it also wants the Kyoto Protocol, a legally valid instrument, must remain effective and operative as it takes the process forward post Copenhagen.

"We must be sure that UN framework convention on climate change is not in any manner diluted, its principles and provisions must be reaffirmed. We are not negotiating on new treaty, we must remain in the parameters of the UN framework convention on the climate change. This is something which all four countries are entirely agreed," said Shyam Saran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy on climate change during a special media briefing on the sidelines of the informal plenary of Head of States/Governments at the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP) at Copenhagen.

"Yes, we recognise that there are certain outstanding issues which remain to be addressed but in addressing those issues the mandate must be the Bali Mandate. This is a very key point and this is also something which the four countries are entirely agreed upon. The third point which is also important is that what happened to the Kyoto Protocol. Here again, these four countries have unambiguous position on this. The Kyoto Protocol is the legally valid instrument and it must remain effective, operative as we take this process forward post Copenhagen," Saran added. By Ashok Dixit (ANI)