UN, Japan Agree To Draft Statement On North Korean Rocket Launch

UN, Japan Agree To Draft Statement On North Korean Rocket Launch

(NSI News Source Info) April 12, 2009: The U.N. Security Council's five permanent members and Japan Saturday reached an agreement on a draft statement about North Korea's long-range rocket launch on April 5.

Diplomats say the statement "sends a clear message" to North Korea, but details, which were worked out in a Security Council closed door session, were not immediately released. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and Japanese PM Taro Aso (R) arrive to hold their meeting at Pattaya, Thailand, 11 Apr 2009.

The agreement comes less than a day after Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Thailand to discuss a compromise.

Japan had been seeking a new Security Council resolution. But Mr. Aso said after the meeting, his country would consider a Security Council presidential statement instead.

The compromise was seen as an effort to send a quick and unified message to North Korea.

The Security Council had been deadlocked for almost a week over what kind of response to issue. Japan had wanted the stiffer resolution, but China favored the lighter reprimand of a presidential statement.