The Bush administration said on Friday that the six-nation climate talks to be held next week in Sydney are not intended as a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol.

"We do not see this as a replacement. We see it as a complement to the Kyoto Protocol," U.S. Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky said, refuting the criticisms of some environmental groups, which believe that the talks are aimed at undercutting the Kyoto Protocol.

The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which was agreed on last July and planned to be launched in Sydney, includes six countries -- Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

The partnership is designed to speed up the development and use of clean energy and more efficient technologies to address issues such as pollution reduction, energy security and climate change while promoting economy and reducing poverty, Dobriansky told a news briefing.

She also said the partnership would issue a charter, a communique, and a work plan during its first meeting.

Both the United States and Australia are not signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, saying the greenhouse gas emission limits would hurt their economies.

The United States is the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases, accounting for 25 percent of the global emission, while China and India produce more than 20 percent.

Carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases are believed to trap heat in the atmosphere and result in global warming.

Source: Xinhua