Brussels, 03/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The day after the Environment Council, the European Troika will go to Moscow on 5 March to convince the Russian authorities that the time has come to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Margot Wallstrom, Commissioner for the Environment, Vasso Papandreou, Greek Environment Minister, and Mr. Matteoli, his Italian counterpart, will meet Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko, Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, the chair of the Ecology Committee in the Duma, Vladimir Grachev, and many deputies, and possibly Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
Russia has already announced its intention of ratifying the Protocol. The Troika's goal is to incite the Russian Government to deposit the draft ratification before the Duma as early as possible, which will enable this international instrument to take effect.