Copenhagen, December 19
It was high drama at the venue of climate talks here last night with US President Barack Obama making a surprise entry into a room where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leaders from China, Brazil and South Africa were in a huddle discussing strategy on negotiations. This meeting proved to be the clincher for a common ground on the extended climate change talks. Obama was apparently hoping to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao alone and after that hold separate meetings with Singh, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma. The four leaders wanted to meet him together, rather than in separate sessions, an official privy to negotiations said.
Obama and his team appeared to be taken aback but went ahead to meet them together. “Can I join you now? Are you ready to talk to me or do you need more time? I can go back and come again,” said Obama to the leaders of the four countries as he walked into the room with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and aides. He was told by leaders that he was welcome to join them.What followed was an intense discussion between Obama and the leaders of the four emerging economies with the result being finalisation of a broad agreement on which they could work.With hopes fading of a summit draft, infact, it was a dramatic turn of events last night, which led to a breakthrough when all seemed lost.
Later, US officials said: “The only surprise we had, in all our history was... that in that room wasn't just the Chinese having a meeting... but all four countries that we had been trying to arrange meetings with were indeed all in the same room... The President's viewpoint is, I wanted to see them all and now is our chance”.
Apprehending that the Copenhagen Summit had almost headed towards a dead end, Obama postponed his scheduled departure for the US and told his advance team that he wanted to meet the Chinese premier separately; followed by a joint meeting with the Indian, Brazilian and South African leaders.
The Chinese team, initially reluctant, told the White House officials that most of the team were already on the airport, while Wen was in his hotel, getting ready to leave. This happened around 4 pm local time.
When they called Brazil, the White House was told by the side that it would hold no meeting without India. Zuma agreed for the meeting as he did not have the latest information about Singh, who was also getting ready to leave.
Following a flurry of phonecalls, the four leaders were again at the Bella Centre discussing their strategy for their meeting with Obama. Singh, who was at his hotel, had driven to the venue.
— PTI
