Japan on Wednesday began direct communication with the United States over Washington's decision to abandon the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a treaty aimed at curbing global warming.
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in a morning telephone conversation that Washington should resume participation in talks on implementing the treaty, Foreign Ministry officials said.
Kono reportedly told Powell that U.S. President George W. Bush's decision last week to effectively abandon the treaty has disappointed many countries.