Russian President Vladimir Putin said today the Russian government was studying the ratification of the Kyoto protocol on global warming but gave no indication of when the country might give its approval.
Russia's approval is vital for the 1997 pact to enter into force after a US pullout in 2001. Russia has often said that it plans to ratify the protocol but has attached strings, including guarantees of economic benefits.
"The government is closely studying and examining this question," he told a global environmental conference.
"A decision will be taken when this work is finished."
Many nations see the 1997 pact as a key first step to curbing the emission of gases from burning fossil fuels that are blamed for rising temperatures around the planet.