World leaders welcome the Copenhagen Accord

21/12-2009 by Rie Jerichow

The rich-poor disputes in Copenhagen that dominated the two-week climate conference and almost blocked any deal at all have almost disappeared after the summit.

"This breakthrough lays the foundation for international action in the years to come," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

"Copenhagen is a first step toward a new world climate order, nothing more but also nothing less. Those who are only putting Copenhagen down are helping those who want to blockade rather than move forward," the chancellor added.

According to AFP, both China and the US, the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, lauded the outcome of the historic UN climate conference.

"With the efforts of all parties, the summit yielded significant and positive results," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in a statement, and US President Barack Obama said that this breakthrough laid "the foundation for international action in the years to come".

Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called it a "good deal" and told Hindustan Times that India had "upheld the interests of developing nations" and their "national sovereignty".