'Don't read too much into it': PM on Cancun development

The Prime Minister's response came to a question at a joint press meet with EU President Herman Van Rompuy when a reporter asked him whether there has been any change in India's stand on climate change in the wake of what Ramesh said.

Ramesh on Thursday had created a flutter when he deviated from his prepared text, saying "all countries must take binding commitments in appropriate legal form", implying that India was ready to accept legally binding emission cuts, a move it has vehemently resisted.

"Don't read too much into this," the Prime Minister told reporters seeking his views on the developments in Cancun. India has come under pressure from South Africa and Brazil, who are part of the BASIC group, to commit to some kind of legally-binding cuts.

Ramesh claimed that there has been no shifting of the goal post. However, he went on to qualify that he stood by India's position that it will not accept internationally binding cuts "at this stage" because he does not know what are the conditions that accompany them. The Minister said he had articulated a "nuanced" position.

"There is no shift in the position, only nuancing," he told PTI, pointing out that India was trying to find room for "manoeuvre" due to increasing pressure from developing nations.