Brussels, 11/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard believes that chances of a binding global climate agreement in December are slim (see EUROPE 10094), but she has called on China and India, two key partners from the group of emerging countries, to cooperate in order to achieve at least tangible progress at the UN conference in Cancún (COP 16, 29 November-10 December). In a statement published on 10 March, Hedegaard, Europe's climate change emissary, mandated by José Manuel Barroso to find alliances, says, “I welcome the announcements by China and India on their association with the Copenhagen Accord. This underlines the support of these two key countries to find a global solution to climate change under the UNFCCC. We must now work to anchor the Copenhagen Accord in the UN negotiating process and I expect India and China to help us benefit from the progress made in Copenhagen. With the support of India and China, I believe we can achieve concrete results in Cancún. I look forward to working closely with these two countries”. (A.N./transl.rt)