Japan, US to cooperate over climate in G8 meet

Bush said in a joint press conference with Fukuda after their bilateral meeting ahead of the summit that China and India should share the same goal in setting the long-term reduction targets.     

The two leaders also agreed to fully cooperate to denuclearise North Korea and resolve Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals, according to Fukuda.     

 

Bush gave assurances the abduction issue is "not ignored" and said he is "fully aware" of Japan's sensitivities regarding North Korea.     

Fukuda said Japan and United States agreed on the need to take immediate action against surging oil and food prices for the stabilisation of the world economy.     

Bush also said US believes in "strong-dollar policy". At stake in the summit is how far the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States can advance from last year's agreement at the summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, in "considering seriously" halving global greenhouse gas emissions from current levels by 2050.     

But the United States has been reluctant to set such a target without the involvement of China, India and other emerging economies with rapidly increasing emissions.