Copenhagen Climate talks deadlocked

Betwa Sharma
Copenhagen, Dec 16 (PTI) Negotiations to hammer out an
"equitable and fair" deal on climate change were deadlocked
today with countries refusing to budge from their positions on
sticky issues like emission cuts as world leaders, including
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are set to join the
talks.
With just two days left to seal a deal that is
acceptable to all, world leaders acknowledged that a deal at
Copenhagen would be "very difficult" and there was "no
guarantee of accord".
India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who is
leading the Indian delegation, said the BASIC group --
comprising India, China, South Africa and Brazil -- "is united
and we would like to reiterate that we want an equitable and
fair agreement to emerge out of Copenhagen."
"But if for some reasons there are disappointments,
BASIC will not be to blame," he told reporters here.
His statement came as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
arrives here Thursday for the final leg of the 12-day climate
change summit, which will be attended by US President Barack
Obama.
In the midst of nine days of unproductive talks,
Connie Hedegaard, the Danish president of the UN climate
conference, resigned as the head of the talks to make way for
Denmark Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen to give a
political push to the negotiations. (MORE) PTI