The United Russia faction will endorse the ratification, Speaker of the State Duma and leader of the faction Boris Gryzlov told reporters.
"This is mainly a political decision [because the Protocol] cannot work without Russia," Gryzlov said.
"As our country joins the Kyoto agreement, this will give us an opportunity to begin implementing new technology to diminish greenhouse gas emission," he added.
On his part, Chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev said that the seven years that had passed between the signing and ratification of the document testified that "Russia addresses this issue as seriously as possible."
Kosachev said, "The message is the basic ecological and economic aspects." The lawmaker recalled that the document would be ratified "with a reservation for 2008-2012."
"During this period we will have time to understand to what extent the document is beneficial for the Russian Federation."
According to Mr. Kosachev, "it would be totally wrong and counterproductive to be responsible for the failure of this international document." Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, "we are choosing, first of all, a certain political platform."
The Kyoto Protocol restricts emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The first stage of its implementation will take five years - from 2008 till 2012. Within this period, an emission quota trading system and common projects will be finalized as principally new mechanisms intended to diminish carbon dioxide emission.
For the document to become effective, it has to be ratified by no less than 55 countries responsible for no less than 55% of world emission as of 1990. To date, 124 states have ratified it, including the industrially developed signatories accounting for 44.2% of global greenhouse gas emission.
As the U.S. said in March 2001 it refused to ratify the Protocol, the document can become effective only if Russia emitting 17.4% of greenhouse gas ratifies it.
