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Kremlin says Putin agreed to address climate summit since Russia views issue as priority

The summit on climate envisages "speeches by the heads of state and governments that will be brief but, nonetheless, all of them will exchange speeches," Dmitry Peskov said
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to participate in the global summit on climate change as this issue is a priority for Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"This is a multilateral event devoted to climate and the ecology and [this issue] is also a top priority for our country," the Kremlin spokesman said.

"Proceeding from this and after getting the full information on this event, he made a decision to speak at it," Peskov divulged.

The summit on climate envisages "speeches by the heads of state and governments that will be brief but, nonetheless, all of them will exchange speeches," Putin’s press secretary said.

Responding to a question about whether Putin was planning to use the climate summit for improving relations with the West, Peskov emphasized that "there is no such notion as relationships with the West since the West is one of the four corners of the world."

The United States plans to hold an international climate summit on April 22-23 and has invited 40 world leaders. The event will focus on consolidating the world’s efforts to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. US President Joe Biden proposed that Putin take part in the climate summit and confirmed the invitation in a telephone discussion with the Russian leader on April 13.

The Kremlin press office reported on April 19 that at the upcoming virtual climate summit set for April 22, Putin would spell out Russia’s approaches towards developing broad international cooperation in overcoming the negative consequences of global climate change.