Chair: New text with other Annex I countries and US. Options for Article 3 par 1 and par 1 bis. option 1 reflects eu, option 3 reflects micronesia, option 4 reflects bolivia.

Australia: disappointed about not continuing LCA discussions. So we should suspend KP discussions. [LCA was blocked by some african states?]

Sweden: LULUCF discussions interrupted?

Jap: support australia

Peru: concern that we already had a day of delay.

Sweden: One group would prefer to have numbers discussion at ministerial level. Don’t know what is happening? Is there some disengagement?

Chair: LULUCF are interrupted.

MIcronesia: AOSIS wants to continue discussion on numbers.

Gambia: Africa would want to continue contact group on numbers.

Australia: unclear what is happening outside this room. Know there is plenary shortly. Very keen to discuss stuff. Disappointed that some work is interrupted. Given uncertainty need to stop at this point.

Chair: only have 20 minutes left, please make use of these minutes

South Africa: have already lest 1.5 days.

China: This is a core discussion. Unwillingness from Annex I to engage in discussions. Shoudl continue.

Sweden: agree with CHina that this is a central part of the work, but need LULUCF part.

India: support south africa and china. if we fail to come up with ambitious credible numbers, something I would not like to think about.

Saudi Arabia: support g77 and china.

Australia: repeat disappointment that some parties have stopped discussion in groups. “G77 and China has disagreed, and suspends participation in working groups”.

Russia: we have to stress that our main purpose is new regime. Support Australia.

Chair: close contact group. COme back at 7?

Bolivia: mentions 1.5 day delay.

??: finds this very unfair.

Chair: will convey messages to KP chair. no alternative but to close.

[Comment: there is a game of chicken going on, with different groups suspending discussions. G77 China, Africa (?) seem to have suspended LCA talks (until KP finishes).  Australia and the umbrella group have responded by suspending the talks of this contact group (and probably the other Kyoto talks)]

Korea: unfortunately secretariat unable to supply info about meetings.

Update: Earth Negotiations Bulletin reports that:

In the negotiations, substantive work on the long-term issues was suspended until late afternoon, pending consultations by the COP President on how to proceed. The need for such consultations arose due to “deadlock” between developing and developed countries: the African Group and LDCs, supported by the G-77/China, requested suspending all negotiations under the AWG-LCA. The move was repeated under the AWG-KP in all negotiating groups apart from the one focusing on Annex I parties’ further emission reductions. The EU, Australia and other developed countries participating in the AWG-KP, in turn, found this unacceptable.

Developing countries were ostensibly protesting against the arrangement whereby only AWG-LCA issues were to be discussed at the ministerial level and urged for more attention to be given to the AWG-KP. The issue was eventually resolved during closed consultations by the COP President in the main plenary, leading to an agreement to hold informal consultations on “crunch issues” under both negotiating tracks, headed by a minister from a developed and developing country. Many parties emerging from the meeting were heard wondering how work by the ministerial groups will be balanced against the more technical work by the various drafting groups, which is expected to continue in parallel with ministerial consultations. Nevertheless, work resumed under both negotiating tracks in the evening and the informal ministerial groups also began their work. Many drafting groups continued working late into the night.