05/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Meeting of G8 Environment Ministers that took place from 2 to 4 March in Trieste - the first attended by the Bush Administration representative, Christine Whitman - finished with the adoption of a final Communiqué, which underlines that the seven most industrialised countries and Russia are working towards reaching an agreement, during the sixth meeting on the Kyoto Protocol, which will take place on Bonn next July (see Europe of 3 March, p.7). During the ministerial meeting, in which European Commissioner Margot Wallström took part, Mrs Whitman somewhat soothed the fears of other delegates concerning the attitude of the new American administration. She said the President felt that climatic change is the greatest challenge that we shall have to face up to, and that we must recognise and take initiatives in order to progress. However, the Trieste Communiqué does not mention any undertaking concerning the ratification of the Kyoto protocol (which dates back to 1997).