Putin to Host EU Summit in Moscow

 

Lisa McAdams

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to host the first summit between Russia and the member states of the newly enlarged European Union in Moscow on Friday. On the eve of the summit, negotiators from both sides were still trying to reach agreement on trade issues.
The two issues most likely to dominate Friday's summit are the conditions for Russia's long-sought entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Russia's position on the Kyoto Protocol¹ on reducing pollution.
The protocol is aimed at reducing contamination by what are called greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, which many scientists blame for global warming. Russia is important for putting the protocol into effect because it only becomes binding² when countries producing 55 percent of such pollution in the world have ratified³ it.
EU officials have accused Russia of using Kyoto as a bargaining chip to try to gain more favorable entry conditions into the World Trade Organization, especially in the energy sphere.
On the eve of the summit, Kyoto clearly remains⁴ problematic.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov told a news conference that while Russia shares the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, it can not accept the conditions it contains.
Mr. Chizhov said that ratification⁵ requires a political consensus⁶ that he says has not yet been reached in Russia. He said there are still different points of view on Kyoto, both politically and scientifically and he warned against hopes of any major breakthrough at Friday's summit.
Earlier this week, a group of leading Russian scientists advised President Putin against ratifying⁷ the Kyoto Protocol, including the Director of the Global Climate and Ecology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The official, Yuri Izrael, said he thinks Kyoto lacks scientific merit and is not in Russia's best interest economically.
Mr. Izrael said the decision now rests with the Putin government, but that he does not believe that a "Yes" vote by Russia on Kyoto would solve the problem of global warming.
On a more positive note, negotiators from both sides say hopes are running high that, at minimum, final deal will be struck Friday on Russia's entry terms into the World Trade Organization.
Russia began trying to join the WTO in 1993 and is the biggest economy still outside the 147 nation body, which sets rules on international trade.
Russian and European Union officials are also billing the summit as a chance for Russia to symbolically⁹ accept the EU's recent expansion, in which eight former Soviet¹⁰ satellite states were among 10 countries that joined the organization.

注释：
Vladimir Putin 弗拉基米尔·普京（1999年12月31日任俄罗斯代总统）
Russia [5rQFE] n. 俄罗斯东欧和亚洲北部旧时的一个帝国。
European Union 欧洲联盟，简称欧盟。
Moscow [5mCskEu] n. 莫斯科（原苏联首都和最大城市）
eve [i:v] n. 前夕
Kyoto Protocol 京都协定书（日本京都1997年全球气候协议）
contamination [kEn7tAmi5neiFEn] n. 污染
carbon dioxide 二氧化碳
ratify⁸ [5rAtifai] vt. 批准，认可
chip [tFip] n. 筹码
problematic [prRblE5mAtIk] adj. 有疑问的
breakthrough [5breik5Wru:] n. 突破
Russian Academy of Sciences 俄罗斯科学院
merit [5merit] n. 长处，功绩
bill [bil] v. 宣传
symbolically [sim5bClikl] adj. 象征性地

 

1 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

2 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

3 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 ratifying   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They call their State Assembly a disgrace for ratifying the 35th. 他们把州议会通过的第35号修正案说成是可耻的行为。 来自辞典例句
• The Obama administration, unlike its predecessor, talks of ratifying the test-ban treaty. 该会议五年举办一次，回顾其间发生的事情。 来自互联网

8 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

9 symbolically   

ad.象征地，象征性地

参考例句：

• By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. 将婚戒戴在左手的第三只手指上，意味着夫妻双方象征性地宣告他们的爱情天长地久，他们定能白头偕老。
• Symbolically, he coughed to clear his throat. 周经理象征地咳一声无谓的嗽，清清嗓子。

10 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。