"India cannot be isolated when it is within the fold of G-77, Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko said.
Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, Chairperson of the group G77-China bloc which represents 134 countries and includes India, described the attitude of the developed countries in the Paris negotiations on Climate Change as "very unhelpful" in an interview to NDTV today.
As 196 countries struggled to reach a final agreement the Climate Change Summit in Paris, to curb global warming before this weekend, Ms Mxakato-Diseko described the role of the developed countries as, "Very consistently unhelpful from the beginning (sic)."
The Climate Change summit has been marked by a bitter divide, between developed and developing nations during the entire duration of the negotiations, which is getting in the way of finalising an agreement. Both India and the US have been targeting each other over coal consumption - a major contributor to global warming. "I would not understand why India would get bad press," she said referring to Rich nations' criticism of India's stand that the developed countries need to do much more, to tackle Climate Change.
Ms Mxakato-Diseko said those who said India is being "difficult" want India to behave like a developed country. She said the G-77 bloc faced obstacles and attempts to divide them with an attitude of "no, you're poorer than this one, we'll pick this one, we'll pick that one." She said this approach is not right one. "Our right to development should not be compromised" she said, adding that finances will be needed for developing countries to do more.
"The developed countries have had an approach that has aimed at dividing the G-77 at China but also reinterpreting the mandate of what we're doing. We're supposed to develop an instrument for the enhancement of an existing instrument. We have a legally binding instrument in place. The United Nations framed a Convention on Climate Change," she said.
Speaking strongly in India's favour, Ms Mxakato-Diseko said, "India negotiates through the G-77 in China and has played a very constructive role out of which we've come up with positions that have made sure that we guide the process."
"India cannot be isolated when it is within the fold of G-77, she said.
Asked what would be a successful Paris Agreement, Ms Mxakato-Diseko said: "There will have to be compromises but we will have to measure in the legal agreement by how it empowers developing countries to be able to do more." She said the world can no longer depend on the developed countries to do more to curb climate change.
"We are determined together with India to make sure that we get a fair and ambitious legally binding instrument," she said.