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UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously condemned North Korea for its long-range rocket launch and agreed to tighten existing sanctions against Pyongyang.
All 15 members endorsed the compromise text which was agreed by six major powers on Saturday in response to North Korea's April 5 launch over Japan.
The text, proposed to the full council on Saturday by its five permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Japan, falls short of the tougher stance which Tokyo had sought in response to the North Korea's April 5 launch.
Backed by the United States and its European allies, Japan had pressed for a resolution, which carries more weight, but veto-wielding China and Russia balked and urged restraint so as not to harm prospects for resuming the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament.
The non-binding statement, however, clearly "condemns" North Korea's launch of a three-stage Taepodong-2 rocket over Japan, saying it was "in contravention" of Security Council resolution 1718, which barred Pyongyang from conducting missile-related activities.
Diplomats noted that the text includes words such as "decides" and "demands," normally reserved for resolutions.
US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice meanwhile hailed what she called "a strong, unanimous statement clearly and unequivocally condemning the launch."
Her Japanese counterpart Yukio Takasu, whose country was the most affected by what he called "the provocative act" by Pyongyang, also welcomed the "very strong, unanimous statement," although he would have preferred a resolution.
His Russian counterpart, Vitaly Churkin, said most of the credit for the consensus outcome goes to the United States and China, which were able to hammer out a compromise text around which other members rallied.
Takasu also had words of praise for China, saying its delegation "has been very flexible during the negotiations."
France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert also said the unanimous adoption "is very important for the signal we are sending" to Pyongyang.
The statement "demands that the DPRK not conduct any further launch."
It "agrees to adjust the measures imposed" in Resolution 1718 to include a tightening of existing sanctions against designated North Korean entities.
The text said that by April 30, it would designate entities to be subjected to an asset freeze and goods that would be banned from transfer to or from North Korea.
The statement gave no details on the list of entities and goods involved, with Heller saying this would have to be worked out by a council sanctions panel to be chaired by Turkey.
Britain's UN Ambassador John Sawers said the text was significant because it "activates the sanctions committee set up under 1718" and tightens existing sanctions against Pyongyang.
Turkish Ambassador Baki Ilkin said no council member had so far submitted a list of entities and goods to be targeted by sanctions.
But Rice said the United States had already compiled its own list, which would be reviewed along with others by the committee before the end of the month.
The statement also calls on all member states "to comply fully with their obligations under Resolution 1718."
That resolution, adopted in 2006 after North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, also demanded that North Korea dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and placed a travel ban on officials working on such programmes.
It further called for a ban targeting exports of missiles, tanks, large artillery systems, warships and combat aircraft to North Korea and permitted inspection of cargo to and from North Korea to prevent any illegal trafficking.
Resolution 1718 also provided for the creation of a Security Council panel to monitor those sanctions, but the commission was never activated in order to avoid jeopardising the six-party talks.
North Korea has insisted that its rocket launched into orbit a communications satellite that is beaming back patriotic songs.
South Korea, Japan and the US military, however, say there is no sign of the object in space and that the launch was a disguised long-range missile test in violation of UN resolutions.
The proposed statement also calls for the "early resumption" of the six-party talks.
The talks, hosted by China and including the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia, have been stalled since December last year after Pyongyang refused to agree on ways of verifying its claims on nuclear disarmament moves.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed hope in a statement "that the council's unified response will pave the way for renewed efforts towards the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues in the region, including through the early resumption of the six-party talks and the inter-Korean dialogue." - AFP/de
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