Obama calls up Modi on agreement

It is likely that Mr. Obama would also be talking over phone with his Chinese counterpart too. A day earlier, Mr. Obama had spoken to his Brazilian counterpart.

In this November 30, 2015 photo, U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the U.N. Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris.

As differences persist between India and the U.S. at the ongoing climate negotiations in Paris, President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone on Wednesday.

Both leaders had met in Paris last week and the phone conversation came a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described his discussions with Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar in Paris as “very positive.”

“Both leaders emphasised their personal commitment to secure a strong climate change agreement this week and their interest in our countries working together to achieve a successful outcome,” a brief statement from the White House said after the phone call.

In its attempt to reset the paradigm of global climate regime, the U.S. has been insisting that developing countries, particularly India, take up more responsibilities, in terms of reducing emissions and providing finances for mitigation efforts.

The U.S. position in effect will dilute the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), which separates poor and rich countries for fixing of responsibilities and distribution of finance, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

India maintains that it cannot compromise on CBDR.