Russia: President Vladimir Putin left in limbo a pact aimed at curbing global warming yesterday, when he said Russia would withhold its crucial vote on the Kyoto Protocol to allow for more studies into its potential impact on the economy and environment.
"The government is closely studying and examining this question," Mr Putin said at the opening of the World Climate Change Conference in Moscow, where environmentalists had hoped Russia would at least lay out a timetable for ratification of the 1997 protocol.
"This is part of a complex of difficult and unclear problems," he said.
"A decision will be taken when this work is finished and, of course, in accordance with the national interests of the Russian Federation." While environmentalists fumed at Moscow's foot-dragging, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Kremlin to move quickly, Mr Putin jokingly speculated on possible benefits of global warming.
"Russia is a northern country and maybe it wouldn't be that bad - we could spend less on fur coats and other warm things. Agricultural experts say that grain harvests are increasing and would increase further, thank God," he said.
"It may be like that, but we should think of other consequences as well."
After the United States pulled out of the pact, Russia's ratification became crucial to take the cumulative emissions of signatory states to at least 55 per cent of the world output of gases like carbon dioxide. Only then will the protocol come into force.
But Moscow has stalled on ratification in recent months, despite many analysts' assessments that it would make sound economic sense for Russia to sign up.
Kyoto calls for countries to reduce their level of greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2012.
But Russia's emissions are already as much as a third below their 1990 level, following the collapse of industry that came with the Soviet Union's demise. This would leave Russia with plenty of emissions "credits" to sell to countries struggling to stay within their own limits.
Russian officials said recently that Moscow may not sign up until it receives concrete guarantees of revenue from emissions rights and investment in cleaner industry and power production.
Economists have also warned that Mr Putin's stated ambition of doubling Russia's economy by 2010 could be hampered by any commitments incurred under Kyoto.
Calling Kyoto "a vital first step in tackling global challenges of global warming", Mr Annan said in a message to the conference that he "joined people throughout the world in eagerly awaiting ratification by the Russian Federation, which will bring the protocol into force and further galvanise global action."
Ecological group Greenpeace protested on the Moscow river outside the conference hall. It lambasted the Kremlin for holding Kyoto hostage to Russia's economic ambitions, and for bowing to alleged US pressure to delay ratification.