French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is leading the U.N. conference, stated his intention to release a nearly final draft on Thursday afternoon in order to minimize disagreements and prepare for a final round of revisions. He expressed his goal of reaching a final agreement during a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before the talks resumed. Fabius emphasized the need for an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming to be completed by Friday, the official closing date of the meeting, without extending into additional days like previous conferences. However, ministers and negotiators from 195 countries are still divided on key issues, including which countries should provide the hundreds of billions of dollars necessary to assist developing nations in transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. The current issue has worsened tensions behind the scenes between the United States and China regarding the differing financial contributions of countries, as pointed out by US Secretary of State John Kerry. While the Chinese did not delve into specifics, they mentioned a possibility for compromise. The debate over whether to aim for a limit of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees will continue in the upcoming draft, with further discussions needed before a resolution is reached, according to Chinese negotiator Gao Feng. The goal is to reach an agreement by Friday or Saturday. The discussions have reignited disagreements over the level of ambition the agreement should have in addressing the increase in global temperatures. Developing countries are pushing for a long-term goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, even though current carbon emission cuts fall short of that target. Many are still wary of the failed negotiations in Copenhagen in 2009. There is a strong desire to reach an agreement this time, but the question remains whether it will be strong or weak. Ramos-Horta emphasized that no country should expect to have all their demands met in the accord. He informed Reuters that a treaty is not set in stone like the Bible and can be reviewed, implying that the agreements made in Paris could potentially be altered and strengthened in the future.