"I hope that the Duma examines the ratification in October," the news agency quoted him as saying.

The Duma has three months to ratify the treaty after the Russian government gave Kyoto its approval last Thursday. Ratification was regarded as a virtual certainty as the pro-government party holds a strong majority.

Zhukov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sent the bill to the Duma for debate, but gave no date for the first of three required hearings on the legislation.

Moscow holds the swing vote on the 1997 protocol but has been hedging its bets for years as its weighs its own economic policies against the broader diplomatic benefits of allying itself closer to Washington or Europe -- the protocol's biggest fan.

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