Sydney (Platts)--7Sep2007

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Russian President Vladimir
Putin have agreed to cooperate on climate change and energy during a meeting
held in Sydney on Friday, ahead of this weekend's Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum's leaders meeting.
     "We have agreed that the world needs to make progress towards a new
international climate change framework, to which all major emitters should
make substantial contributions," Howard said in a statement. 
     "Australia and Russia will work together to achieve international
consensus on a long-term global aspirational goal for stabilizing and then
reducing greenhouse gas emissions," he said. 
     Howard said the two governments would work closely together, with other
members of the "Umbrella Group" coalition, to pursue shared interests in the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. 
     "We will support launching negotiations for a post-2012 agreement at the
UN climate change conference in Indonesia in December," he added.
     Australia and Russia also plan to work to develop and deploy low emission
technologies, including those for carbon sequestration, and to develop methane
and hydrogen as sources of energy.
     In addition, the governments have signed an Agreement on Cooperation in
the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes. 
     "This new agreement will allow the supply of Australian uranium for use
in Russia's civil nuclear power industry, and provide a framework for broader
cooperation on peaceful nuclear-related activities," Howard said.