Putin calls for compromise with EU over aircraft emission payments

Russia and the European Union should find a compromise on payments for aircraft pollution, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. The European Union has issued a directive under which all airlines flying to Europe will get quotas for emitting greenhouse gases. The Russian Transport Ministry has suggested adopting legislation prohibiting Russian air companies from paying for the quotas. "Compromise decisions should be found in a dialogue. Until now, we have managed to do that, in particular during talks about joining the WTO (the World Trade Organization). We should do the same in this field," Putin said. Payments for emissions were likely to cause airlines significant financial damage, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told Putin, adding a decision should be taken at an international level and that the United States, China and India shared Russia's position.