Mr. Chairman the Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Germany for their warm hospitality and for the excellent arrangements for our meeting. The Group would also like to take this opportunity to express its heart felt sympathy to the Governments and people of Myanmar and the People's Republic of China both countries, which have experienced the effects of terrible natural disasters within the last month.

Mr. Chairman, we look forward to working under your able leadership in a constructive spirit so that we can meet the mandate of the AWG within these two weeks in Bonn.

The Group 77 and China believes that our discussions in Bangkok on technical issues underpinning the means available to Annex 1 Parties have deepened our understanding of these issues. You will recall that the G77 and China expressed its deep concern in Bangkok that the discussions have not yet begun to focus on the Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives (QELROs) of Annex I Parties. In this regard, we urge Parties to focus on the legal mandate of Article 3.9, which is to set further quantified emission reduction commitments for Annex 1 Parties for the second and subsequent commitment periods.

In order to ensure the continuity of the Kyoto Protocol and the integrity of the international climate regime, it is vital that these negotiations are completed well before the expiry of the first commitment period. Considering the length of time needed by countries to ratify amendments, we would reiterate the importance of urgently completing the negotiation of Annex 1 Party commitments for the second commitment period, at the latest by 2009.

The Group of 77 and China looks forward to constructively participating in the in-session thematic workshops and the consideration of relevant methodological issues as input towards the adoption of quantified emission reduction commitments for individual Annex 1 Parties for the second and subsequent commitment period. In our deliberations in this process it will be important to take into account potential environmental, social and economic spill over effects.

In summary, Mr. Chairman, we expect that the outcome of our discussions here in Bonn, must make a significant contribution to the setting of deep and ambitious quantified emission reduction commitments for Annex 1 Parties for the second and subsequent commitment periods by 2009.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.