Obama urges world action at Paris climate summit
Source: Boston Globe
Sideline talks included a meeting between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Syria’s nearly five-year civil war and peace efforts in Ukraine between the Western-supported government and pro-Moscow rebels. The two leaders agreed to re-launch bids to halt the fighting in Syria, but the two sides remain far apart on some key issues and no clear progress appeared to be made in Paris.
Russia says its military intervention in Syria seeks to cripple the Islamic State — a mutual enemy of Washington and its allies. But Moscow has heavily targeted rebel factions seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key Russian partner. In Paris, Obama repeated U.S. demands that Assad must eventually step down as part of any political transition.
Obama kicked off his day at the Paris gathering with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, hailing their mutual work on climate change but urging greater Chinese cooperation on cyber-crime and ‘‘maritime’’ issues that include China’s military construction on disputed reefs in the South China Sea.
Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2015/11/30/leaders-warming-earth-meet-paris-cut-emissions/7kRjVeGtofoLaxGxxhtsdO/story.html
Obama is one of about 150 world leaders at the Paris summit — formally known as the 21st Conference of Participants.
Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Obama warned that ‘‘there is such a thing as being too late.’’
‘‘And when it comes to climate change that hour is almost upon us,’’ he added.
