'Don't read too much into it': PM on Cancun development

G Sudhakar Nair
Brussels, Dec 11 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh has sought to downplay controversial remarks made by
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at the climate change
summit in Cancun, saying "don't read too much into this".
The Prime Minister's response came to a question at a
joint press meet with EU President Herman Van Rompuy when a
reporter asked him whether there has been any change in
India's stand on climate change in the wake of what Ramesh
said.
Ramesh on Thursday had created a flutter when he deviated
from his prepared text, saying "all countries must take
binding commitments in appropriate legal form", implying that
India was ready to accept legally binding emission cuts, a
move it has vehemently resisted.
"Don't read too much into this," the Prime Minister
told reporters seeking his views on the developments in
Cancun.
India has come under pressure from South Africa and
Brazil, who are part of the BASIC group, to commit to some
kind of legally-binding cuts.
Ramesh claimed that there has been no shifting of the
goal post. However, he went on to qualify that he stood by
India's position that it will not accept internationally
binding cuts "at this stage" because he does not know what are
the conditions that accompany them.
The Minister said he had articulated a "nuanced"
position.
"There is no shift in the position, only nuancing," he
told PTI, pointing out that India was trying to find room for
"manoeuvre" due to increasing pressure from developing
nations. PTI GSN
HMI