During their meeting today, Prime Minister Howard and President Putin underscored their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation at all levels to address the global challenges of climate change and energy, including through the forthcoming APEC Leaders Meeting.
Prime Minister Howard and President Putin noted that as two of the world's largest suppliers of energy, Australia and the Russian Federation are committed to an approach to energy policy that ensures economic growth, energy security and environmental sustainability.
Australia and the Russian Federation will work together and with other countries to achieve an international consensus on a long-term global aspirational goal for the stabilisation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Such a goal will provide a basis for accelerated and concerted action at the national level over the coming years and promote a smooth transition to future constraints on the production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
The APEC Economic Leaders Meeting will provide significant opportunity to progress efforts to forge a new international climate change framework that provides for substantive contributions by all major emitters. It is imperative that action on climate change be consistent with economic growth and development and based on reliable and verified scientific data. The future international framework needs to be multifaceted and provide for national, regional and multilateral policy approaches that are mutually reinforcing. Both countries are actively involved in advancing the APEC Energy Working Group agenda in key areas such as achieving oil security, promoting energy efficiency, attracting energy investment, and facilitating trade.
Australia and the Russian Federation support calls for progress towards a new international climate change framework through all available channels, including the launch of negotiations on a multilateral comprehensive post-2012 agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Indonesia in December. Australia and the Russian Federation will continue to work closely together and with other members of the 'Umbrella Group' coalition to pursue their shared interests within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which constitutes the appropriate multilateral forum for climate change negotiations.
Australia and the Russian Federation are committed to contributing to important international initiatives and processes that support the conclusion of a new climate change framework.
Australia and the Russian Federation are working together to promote the development and deployment of low emission technologies, including the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, the Methane to Markets Partnership and the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy. Both countries agree that reducing emissions from deforestation is a key component of global action on climate change and Australia welcomes Russia's participation in the recent High-Level Meeting of 63 countries under the Global Initiative on Forests and Climate.
Russia's programme to significantly expand its nuclear power industry in the next decade, and Australia's role as a leading and expanding supplier of uranium, give both countries a stake in the contribution of nuclear power to addressing global climate change. Both countries support efforts to expand the safe and secure use of nuclear energy while promoting non-proliferation objectives. Initiatives such as the international nuclear fuel cycle centre in Angarsk (south-east Siberia) can play a valuable role.
Australia expressed its interest in participating with the Russian Federation and other countries in the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), a partnership of governments working together on fourth generation nuclear power plant technology. The GIF brings together countries with a common interest in advanced research and development in this field. The Russian Federation expressed its support for Australian membership of the partnership.
Australia and the Russian Federation are committed to deepening and strengthening their cooperation through the following agreed actions:
Nuclear cooperation: The Russia-Australia Agreement on Cooperation in the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes has been concluded and signed.
Mining: Following the success of the meeting of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Mining in February 2007, Australia and the Russian Federation will collaborate in the development and implementation of the forward programme of the APEC Mining Task Force with a particular focus on sustainability. Russia welcomed Australia's initiative in organising two workshops on sustainable development in the mining context in November 2007.