ST. PETERSBURG, April 9. /TASS/. Moscow will make a decision on ratifying the Paris Agreement on climate change after analyzing the aftermath of its implementation thoroughly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the International Arctic Forum.
"We are currently planning to ratify [the Paris Agreement]," the head of state noted. "Of course, we will do that after a thorough analysis of the consequences of implementing these decisions. Nevertheless, we are moving towards that."
In response to statements made during the first part of the plenary session, Putin stressed that Russia was not the largest economy in the Arctic region. He noted citing data provided by the International Monetary Fund that the US and Canada were ahead of Russia in that respect. "Of course, we will seek to improve [Russia’s] rankings," Putin assured.
He stressed that, unlike Washington, Moscow signed and implemented the Kyoto Protocol. Plans are also in store to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, he added. "Moreover, Russia pledged to reduce emissions 25-30% compared to the 1990 levels. That’s a heavy burden," he added.