2NDLDALL CLIMATE 4LAST

The tense negotiations at one stage saw Britain, France
and Australia expressing reservations on the Indian position
relating to emission cuts, mitigation targets and finance.

"I think in the meeting that we had, unfortunately the
French President (Nicolas Sarkozy) and British Prime Minister
(Gordon Brown), many of them did not seem appreciative of
India's point of view. ... Either they were not properly
briefed or they chose deliberately to be oblivious of what we
are doing," Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said
after the meeting.
"I tried my best, a couple of moments there were some
sharp exchanges between me and President Sarkozy. But I must
say Chancellor (Angela) Merkel (of Germany) was very
supportive of India, President Obama was very supportive of
India."
But, the Indian side did have some problem with Brown and
Sarkozy and also twice with Australian Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd, Ramesh said.
However, he said, after the meeting these leaders stated
that they respected Singh and knew what a "great Prime
Minister he is and what good job India is doing."
During the meeting, Singh said that there was no question
of making India's unilateral commitments internationally
legally binding.
"We will reflect them in an international agreement in a
suitable way but we are not going to take any internationally
legally binding commitments. That is simply not on the cards,"
Ramesh quoted Singh as saying, adding that Obama appreciated
Singh's statement. PTI BS
ANU


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