The following is a press release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada dated December 18, 2009.

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the occasion of the closing of the 15th Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen:

“This agreement is the result of two weeks of negotiations in which Canada and Environment Minister Prentice, our chief negotiator, played a key part.

“And over the past 24 hours, I have met with numerous leaders to reaffirm that Canada remains committed to a comprehensive, post-2012 agreement that is fair and effective.

“All countries must commit to taking concrete action to address climate change as part of a new treaty – actions which are measurable, verifiable and reportable.

“Canada is working to align our clean energy and climate change policies with those of the Obama Administration.  This approach recognizes the high degree of integration of our two economies.

“Canada is prepared to contribute our fair share of financial support, particularly to the poorest and most vulnerable nations.”