"We still do hope that Russia will ratify the Kyoto protectol as soon as possible," said commission spokesman Reijo Kempinnen. "We are in constant contact them," he added.

Kyoto supporters had been hoping to convince Russia, whose agreement is necessary to bring Kyoto into force, to ratify the treaty during the World Conference on Climate Change that Moscow is organising.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of the Moscow talks that his country has not yet decided whether it will ratify the 1997 Kyoto treaty.

"The Russian government is meticulously examining this question and is studying all of the difficult problems associated with it," Putin said as he opened the five-day conference.

TERRA.WIRE