Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is to chair
next month's meeting of Group of Eight (G8) nations, admitted
Thursday the event was unlikely to settle climate-change policy for
the post-2012 period.
In a wide-ranging, 20-minute speech to parliament on the G summit
and world issues, she appealed for bigger efforts to combat global
warming.
'The leading industrialized nations have to make progress on this
issue, or else we will not be able to fight climate change,' she
said.
She said she was sceptical as to whether summit leaders would
agree next month on any concrete steps towards an international
agreement covering the period beyond 2012.
Merkel announced that when Germany begins charging for
carbon-dioxide emissions, it would use the proceeds to boost
development aid, but added that Berlin would be pursuing 'new paths'
in aid.
Speaking on another summit topic, she voiced her hope that the
stalemated Doha talks on liberalizing world trade would reach a
settlement after all.
She told legislators in Berlin that although the time left was now
tight, a breakthrough was still possible if all parties demonstrated
flexibility and willingness to compromise.
A deal would scrap many barriers to trade and benefit poor
nations, she added.
She also asked Germany's critics of hedge funds to be patient.
Berlin has been pressing for regulation of the funds, but the United
States and Britain contend self-regulation is sufficient.
Merkel said 'differing perceptions' meant no rapid progress could
be expected on the issue. She stressed that Germany would welcome
self-regulation too. Greater transparency was what was needed so that
risks posed by the funds to the world economy could be countered.
Merkel appealed to anti-globalization activists gathering next
month in Germany to protest at the summit at a Baltic beach resort to
remain peaceful. She defended the meeting as 'valuable.'
'Together with the G8 leaders and the main emerging economies, we
want to give globalization a human face,' she said.
Merkel, who had phoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the
previous evening, also appealed to Palestinians to stop firing
missiles at Israel.
'Violence does not lead to any resolution of the
problems,' she said.
The chancellor also appealed to Iran to halt its enrichment of
uranium, telling Teheran 'we are willing for broad cooperation with
Iran' if its leadership fulfils its international obligations.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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