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 Seoul, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday announced its position on U.S. President George W. Bush's new policy to control greenhouse gas emissions that he wants discussed internationally along with the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty adopted in 1997 to control greenhouse gas emissions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that "the Government of the Republic of Korea appreciates continued interest shown by the Government of the United States in climate change and their efforts in presenting on February 14 a new initiative to address this issue which is one of the greatest challenges humankind faces in the 21st century." The statement was issued by the name of Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong. "The Korean Government notes that the new U.S. Government initiative adopts a flexible and gradual approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and that it takes into consideration the concerns of developing countries," the statement said. The !
Korean government is of the view that in order for the U.S. initiative to be discussed in more detail in future international fora, greater elaboration is needed, including concrete methods to establish the levels of greenhouse gas intensity, it continued. Parties to the Climate Change Convention have been preparing for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol since the adoption of its implementation rules last November in Marrakesh, Morocco. "In light of this, the Korean Government believes that consultations amongst the international community are needed to build understanding on the U.S. initiative," the statement noted, adding the Seoul government will actively participate in this process. Over 180 countries, including the United States, have prepared for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, a framework that requires signatories to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. administration led by President George W. Bush rejected the Protocol early last year and recently announced a new policy on climate change which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to Gross Domestic Product or economic activities. Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Bush administration had been severely blamed in the international community for rejecting the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile, some other countries, including Japan and Germany, already issued statements on Bush's new climate change policy in rather different tones. yct9423@yna.co.kr