The White House has denied reports that it will stay in the Paris climate deal, saying its position on leaving was unchanged. The President Donald Trump administration said the country would only stay in the deal if it got more “favourable” terms. Washington’s statement on Saturday comes after the country attended a meeting of ministers from more than 30 of the nations that signed the Paris climate-change agreement, Reuters reported.

The Wall Street Journal had reported that US administration officials had said at the Montreal talks that they would not pull out of the Paris accord, but the White House issued a statement later saying it will stick with its plans to pull out of the deal.

In June, President Donald Trump announced that he would withdraw the nation from the 2015 global climate pact, arguing that it would undermine the US economy and national sovereignty. The decision drew anger and condemnation from world leaders.

Under the Paris deal, all signatory countries are required to keep global warming within 2 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels.