Japan and Russia have agreed to hold their first vice-ministerial talks on ways to fight global warming on February 27 in Tokyo. The talks would also focus on the so-called “clean investment scheme” to help a country like Japan attain the targets set under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Tokyo is also planning to buy a large amount of emissions quotas from Russia - whose quotas exceed what it needs to meet its own target, in return for investments in energy and environmental conservation technologies1.

Meanwhile, Tokyo lodged a strong protest over an alleged intrusion into Japanese air space by a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber off the southern part of the Izu Island chain2.

• 1. “Japan, Russia to hold global warming talks,” Japan Today, February 10, 2008, at http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/427629
• 2. “Russian air force bomber intrudes into Japanese airspace,” Japan Today, February 10, 2008, at http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/427556