|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
North Korea: Permanent U.N. Security Council Members Still Split on Nuclear Efforts The five permanent U.N. Security Council members, hampered by Chinese opposition, could not reach agreement yesterday on a joint statement condemning North Korean nuclear efforts, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, April 7). The United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom met yesterday in a prelude to a meeting tomorrow of the full, 15-member Security Council. Earlier efforts to bring the five together were unsuccessful when China and Russia decided not to attend (see GSN, March 14). China had held out against meetings of the permanent members, but attended Monday’s session. “We hope that the council would react constructively on this issue,” Chinese U.N. Ambassador Wang Yingfan said yesterday. Other council diplomats, however, said China was not ready to join a council statement criticizing North Korea (Edith Lederer, Associated Press/Sacramento Bee, April 8). Russia also warned that U.S. efforts to censure North Korea could hurt relations between Washington and Moscow, Agence France-Presse reported today. The nuclear crisis is “very dangerous and not developing in the direction of easing of tensions, but rather the other way,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said. “We need to take urgent measures to cool off the situation,” he added. “The most important thing is to, first, try to clear up relations between the United States and North Korea, so that the (two sides’) fears about each other are eliminated,” Losyukov said. “Otherwise, the U.N. Security Council discussion could, instead, become a launching pad for a further unraveling of relations,” he added (Agence France-Presse, April 8). U.S., North Korean Diplomats Meet Meanwhile, in face-to-face meetings last week, the United States asked North Korea to take part in multilateral talks, AP reported. U.S. special envoy for North Korea Jack Pritchard met with Han Song Ryol, North Korea’s deputy permanent representative at the United Nations, in three days of talks. Council diplomats did not know if North Korea had responded, but Pyongyang has long resisted anything but direct negotiations with Washington (Lederer, Associated Press/Sacramento Bee). U.S.-South Korea Talks Begin U.S. Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Richard Lawless is in Seoul this week to meet with South Korean officials on the future of the two countries’ relationship. South Korean defense officials said the talks could focus on moving U.S. forces away from the South Korea’s border with the North, and possibly reducing the number of U.S. military personnel in the country (Associated Press/London Guardian, April 8). Seoul’s delegation, including Cha Young-koo, the assistant defense minister for policy, is against a drastic reduction in frontline U.S. troops while the nuclear crisis lasts. “We are opposed to the early relocation of key frontline bases like the 2nd Infantry Division. The issue can be discussed only after the nuclear crisis is over,” said a Defense Ministry official. “We will do our best to search for a win-win strategy, beneficial to both countries,” Cha said (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo.com, April 8).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
