MOSCOW, Oct 20, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will not
attend next month's landmark UN climate summit, the Kremlin said on Wednesday
but stressed that addressing climate change was one of Russia's top
priorities.

   "Unfortunately, Putin will not fly to Glasgow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov told reporters, adding however that climate change was "one of our
foreign policy's most important priorities."

   World leaders gather in the Scottish city next month for a historic summit
billed as humanity's "last best chance" to get devastating climate change
under control.

   Russia is currently the fourth-highest emitter of carbon, and critics say
the country is doing far from enough to tackle the environmental crisis.

   Peskov said the Russian side would be represented at the summit but said
details would be released at a later date.

   Held between October, 31 and November, 12, the gathering will be the
biggest climate conference since landmark talks in Paris in 2015, and is seen
as a crucial step in setting worldwide emission targets to slow global
warming.

   Last week Putin said that Russia, one of the world's biggest producers of
oil and gas, was aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060.