Following is the text of the August 27 press statement of State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Press Statement
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC

August 27, 2002

U.S.-Republic of Korea Joint Statement on Enhanced Bilateral Climate Change Cooperation

Following is the text of a joint statement released by the United States and the Republic of Korea following meetings on July 22, 2002 between officials of the U.S. Departments of State and Energy and the Korean Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Energy; Environment; and Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Begin Text:

The Republic of Korea and the United States exchanged views on their policies on global climate change and agreed to enhance their bilateral cooperation, following meetings on July 22 between officials of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy led by U.S. Senior Climate Negotiator Harlan Watson and their counterparts in the Korean Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Energy; Environment; and Foreign Affairs and Trade led by Son Sung-hwan, MOFAT Deputy Director General for Environment and Science Affairs.

The United States explained the policy announced by President Bush on February 14, 2002, under which the United States is taking action to address climate change to achieve a new and ambitious national goal for reducing projected emissions growth in the next decade. The Republic of Korea reiterated its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and stated that it is pursuing the relevant domestic procedures to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Communication and cooperation between the two countries will help to advance both the U.S. and Korean efforts.

The two sides expressed their intention to establish a bilateral dialogue on policy issues and to collaborate in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through research in climate change science and technology, and institution building. Korea also suggested areas where cooperation may be enhanced, such as: clean and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and conservation, fuel cells, wind, and photovoltaic technologies; carbon sequestration; climate change in the Pacific Rim area; landfill methane utilization; and waste heat utilization. Specific areas of cooperation will be further considered and refined by a working group led by the Department of State on the U.S. side, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Korean side.

The Republic of Korea and the United States also agreed that they would continue to work together in the spirit of cooperation and partnership under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.