Prime Minister Koizumi follows in U.S. footsteps on global environment issue: Akahata editorial, July 6, 2001 (Gist)

During the Japan-U.S. summit talks, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro neither stated that Japan intends to ratify the Kyoto Protocol nor tried to persuade U.S. President George W. Bush Bush to reverse the unreasonable U.S. decision to ignore the Kyoto Protocol.

And what is worse, Koizumi proposed setting up a Japan-U.S. ministerial panel with the aim of opening a path toward a revision of the Kyoto Protocol. This proposal was welcomed by the U.S., which stands alone in the international community because of its attitude toward the Kyoto Protocol.

The EU nations, Russia, East European countries, and Canada have already ratified the Kyoto Protocol. It will come into effect if Japan ratifies it. To side with the U.S., which is attempting to destroy the international agreement for a control over greenhouse gas emissions, is nothing but a betrayal of the international community.

Prime Minister Koizumi asked European nations to cooperate with the U.S. This is a disgrace. Isn't he the prime minister of the host nation of the COP3? It is natural that French President Jacques Chirac refused Koizumi's request, saying that it is impossible to change the French government attitude in order to serve the interests of the U.S.

What Prime Minister Koizumi is doing is dangerous as it may push the international efforts to prevent global warming to go back to the very beginning. He thinks that any agreement of the resumed COP 6 to be held in Bonn, Germany from July 19 won't resolve this issue. This will bring about grave consequences.

The House of Representatives and the House of Councilors unanimously adopted a resolution respectively, calling for an early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Does Prime Minister Koizumi intend to follow the U.S. Bush administration's instructions, disregarding the Diet resolutions? (end)