Kazakh parliament ratifies Kyoto Protocol

ASTANA. February 26. KAZINFORM The Senate of the Kazakh parliament ratified on Thursday the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

?The ratification will allow to protect its energy policy by means of participation in talks at the sides? conferences which will directly influence the energy policy of the whole world,? Minister of Environmental Protection of the republic Nurlan Iskakov believes. Besides, according to him, expected receipts with the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol will amount to 400-700 million dollars a year. ?Within two or three years after it is put into force, we?ll attract at least 1.5 billion euros to our country in the form of technologies and equipment,? the minister said. ?We ratified the Kyoto Protocol without obligations. According to this mechanism, many countries, including China and India, are working,? the minister specified. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in December 1997. A total of 181 countries and one regional community -- the European Union ratified it. In 2012, the validity of the Kyoto Protocol expires; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. The law is transferred to the Kazakh head of state for signature.