Japan secures allies' unity on N. Korea, gap remains with China, Russia+

TOKYO, April 5 Kyodo - Japan, over which Pyongyang launched a rocket Sunday, confirmed with allies to seek U.N. Security Council action against North Korea's breaching of existing resolutions, but diplomatic efforts fell short of narrowing a gap with veto-wielding powers China and Russia which appeared more reluctant to condemn
Pyongyang.

''Japan's stance is that a new resolution at the council is necessary,''
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told reporters after separate telephone
conversations with his U.S. and other counterparts. ''There are differences
with China and Russia, but together with the United States and South Korea we
will work on seeking their cooperation.''
Within hours after North Korea's rocket launch was confirmed and Tokyo lodged a
protest with Pyongyang over it, Nakasone talked with foreign ministers from the
five permanent Security Council members -- the United States, China, France,
Russia and Britain -- plus neighboring South Korea to make Japan's case and
secure support.
They were South Korea's Yu Myung Hwan, Hillary Clinton of the United States,
China's Yang Jiechi, France's Bernard Kouchner, Russia's Sergei Lavrov and
Britain's David Miliband.
Nakasone agreed with Yu and Clinton on the need to send a strong message over
the North Korean issue at the U.N. Security Council, but Yang called for Japan
to ''respond calmly'' and handle the situation ''from a broad perspective,''
according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Nakasone confirmed with South Korea and the United States that Sunday's launch
constitutes a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 1718, which was
adopted unanimously in October 2006 after North Korea conducted a nuclear test
and bans Pyongyang from all activities related to its ballistic missile
program.
France's Kouchner and Britain's Miliband also expressed their nations' support
and cooperation at the council.
Nakasone indicated that Pyongyang's launch in defiance of international calls
against the communist country would have a negative impact on six-party talks
aimed at denuclearizing North Korea, which have already been stalled since
December due to differences on how to verify its nuclear programs.
He said Tokyo, Washington and Seoul reaffirmed their common stance that the
issue must be taken up thoroughly at the U.N. Security Council, which will
convene an emergency session in New York on Sunday afternoon.
Tokyo, which sees the launch as a threat to Japan's security as the rocket flew
across its archipelago, hopes to see a strong message from the council. But
negotiations appear certain to be a tough road ahead, given the cautious
attitudes of China and Russia.
China's Yang expressed understanding of Japan's concerns over the launch and
agreed to continue close discussions on the issue, but he did not respond
directly to Japan's call for a new U.N. resolution in condemnation of North
Korea, Nakasone told reporters.
Beijing, a traditional ally and major provider of food and energy to North
Korea, is also chair of the six-party denuclearization talks.
It apparently hopes to avoid further agitating Pyongyang, which has warned
recently that international effort to censure the launch would ''deprive the
six-party talks of any ground to exist.''
North Korea's bordering neighbor Russia also refrained from clearly expressing
support for Japan's anticipated new resolution, with Foreign Minister Lavrov
only saying Moscow will engage in discussions with Japan in order to reach
consensus at the council.
Lavrov also stressed that Russia is prepared to begin discussions at the U.N.
Security Council while studying at the same time technical data to confirm
details of the launch.
Meanwhile, Mexico, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the
Security Council, assured Japan through its ambassador to Tokyo, Miguel
Ruiz-Cabanas, that its government would like to play its role in ensuring that
''Japan's concerns are properly reflected in the international community,'' the
Foreign Ministry said after telephone talks between Ruiz-Cabanas and Nakasone.
Separately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura met James Zumwalt, charge
d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and South Korean Ambassador
to Japan Kwon Chul Hyun earlier Sunday.
North Korea has already warned against any international effort to censure the
''satellite'' launch, claiming its right to peaceful use of space.
Japan currently holds a nonpermanent seat on the 15-member Security Council.
==Kyodo
2009-04-05 22:41:31