ID :
54988
Mon, 04/13/2009 - 07:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/54988
The shortlink copeid
Aso hints Japan's readiness to accept UNSC statement on N. Korea+
PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 Kyodo - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso hinted Saturday during talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak in Pattaya, Thailand, that Japan will accept a U.N. Security Council presidential statement
on North Korea's recent rocket launch, instead of a resolution.
''If strong substances are ensured and the international community can swiftly
send a message (to North Korea), we think we don't need to stick to a certain
format,'' Aso said at a news conference after his bilateral meeting with Wen
and a trilateral meeting with Wen and Lee.
As Japan and China effectively agreed to pursue a nonbinding statement in
response to the April 5 launch -- an idea shared by the five permanent UNSC
members -- the focus will now shift to U.N. negotiations in New York as to what
kind of language and measures the statement would contain.
Aso said he also agreed with China to seek documentation on verification of
Pyongyang's nuclear programs as part of efforts to ensure an early resumption
of stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea.
Aso requested during a meeting with Wen that a nonbinding statement include a
reference condemning the launch of what North Korea says was a satellite, but
Japan, South Korea and the United States see as a disguised test-firing of a
long-range ballistic missile, a senior Japanese official said.
During the trilateral meeting, Aso repeated Japan's position is that it is
desirable that the international community adopt a UNSC resolution in response
to North Korea's suspected missile launch. Lee expressed the same view.
Aso said it is obvious the launch violated existing Security Council
resolutions that ban Pyongyang from conducting any ballistic missile activities
such as Resolution 1718.
However, Wen said China -- a traditional ally of North Korea and one of the
five permanent UNSC members -- wants a presidential statement and not a legally
binding resolution aimed at punishing Pyongyang.
Given Aso's compromise, Japan is expected to withdraw a proposal for the U.N.
Security Council to adopt a binding resolution on Pyongyang during a council
meeting resuming Saturday in New York.
''In order to ensure peace and security in the Northeast Asia, it is important
for the United Nations, the international community, to issue a strong message
(against North Korea) in a swift fashion,'' Aso said. ''It would send a wrong
signal to North Korea if the international community showed that countries are
not taking a unified response by taking too much time'' in decision-making on
Pyongyang.
Among other issues, Wen welcomed Aso's planned visit to China on April 29 to 30
in a move to upgrade relations between Asia's two biggest economies, a senior
Japanese official said.
The two leaders also discussed issues of common concern such as food safety and
natural resources development in the East China Sea, the official said.
In a separate meeting Saturday, Aso and Lee agreed to maintain close policy
coordination on issues related to North Korea, including efforts to resume the
six-party talks, which involve China, Japan, Russia, the United States and two
Koreas, according to the official.
Earlier in the day, the foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea
agreed the international community needs to promptly send a ''unified and
powerful message'' on North Korea's launch, reaffirming it is undesirable that
Pyongyang take action to undermine peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said he reached the consensus
during separate telephone talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan in Pattaya, where
a summit meeting of leaders from 13 Asian countries slated for Saturday was
canceled due to demonstrations by anti-Thai government protesters.
Japan, South Korea and the United States have agreed to take a firm stance
against Pyongyang. But China and Russia are against a resolution.
The foreign ministers had been scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting Saturday
morning, but it was canceled as the front entrance of a conference venue was
blocked by anti-Thai government protesters.
Aso, Wen and Lee were in Pattaya for a series of regional summits over the
weekend, including the so-called ASEAN-plus-three summit Saturday and the
16-nation East Asia Summit on Sunday, which, however, were canceled due to
security reasons.
The ASEAN-plus-three groups the 10 members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- plus Japan, China and South
Korea. The East Asia Summit brings together the 13 countries plus Australia,
New Zealand and India.
==Kyodo
on North Korea's recent rocket launch, instead of a resolution.
''If strong substances are ensured and the international community can swiftly
send a message (to North Korea), we think we don't need to stick to a certain
format,'' Aso said at a news conference after his bilateral meeting with Wen
and a trilateral meeting with Wen and Lee.
As Japan and China effectively agreed to pursue a nonbinding statement in
response to the April 5 launch -- an idea shared by the five permanent UNSC
members -- the focus will now shift to U.N. negotiations in New York as to what
kind of language and measures the statement would contain.
Aso said he also agreed with China to seek documentation on verification of
Pyongyang's nuclear programs as part of efforts to ensure an early resumption
of stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea.
Aso requested during a meeting with Wen that a nonbinding statement include a
reference condemning the launch of what North Korea says was a satellite, but
Japan, South Korea and the United States see as a disguised test-firing of a
long-range ballistic missile, a senior Japanese official said.
During the trilateral meeting, Aso repeated Japan's position is that it is
desirable that the international community adopt a UNSC resolution in response
to North Korea's suspected missile launch. Lee expressed the same view.
Aso said it is obvious the launch violated existing Security Council
resolutions that ban Pyongyang from conducting any ballistic missile activities
such as Resolution 1718.
However, Wen said China -- a traditional ally of North Korea and one of the
five permanent UNSC members -- wants a presidential statement and not a legally
binding resolution aimed at punishing Pyongyang.
Given Aso's compromise, Japan is expected to withdraw a proposal for the U.N.
Security Council to adopt a binding resolution on Pyongyang during a council
meeting resuming Saturday in New York.
''In order to ensure peace and security in the Northeast Asia, it is important
for the United Nations, the international community, to issue a strong message
(against North Korea) in a swift fashion,'' Aso said. ''It would send a wrong
signal to North Korea if the international community showed that countries are
not taking a unified response by taking too much time'' in decision-making on
Pyongyang.
Among other issues, Wen welcomed Aso's planned visit to China on April 29 to 30
in a move to upgrade relations between Asia's two biggest economies, a senior
Japanese official said.
The two leaders also discussed issues of common concern such as food safety and
natural resources development in the East China Sea, the official said.
In a separate meeting Saturday, Aso and Lee agreed to maintain close policy
coordination on issues related to North Korea, including efforts to resume the
six-party talks, which involve China, Japan, Russia, the United States and two
Koreas, according to the official.
Earlier in the day, the foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea
agreed the international community needs to promptly send a ''unified and
powerful message'' on North Korea's launch, reaffirming it is undesirable that
Pyongyang take action to undermine peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said he reached the consensus
during separate telephone talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and
South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung Hwan in Pattaya, where
a summit meeting of leaders from 13 Asian countries slated for Saturday was
canceled due to demonstrations by anti-Thai government protesters.
Japan, South Korea and the United States have agreed to take a firm stance
against Pyongyang. But China and Russia are against a resolution.
The foreign ministers had been scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting Saturday
morning, but it was canceled as the front entrance of a conference venue was
blocked by anti-Thai government protesters.
Aso, Wen and Lee were in Pattaya for a series of regional summits over the
weekend, including the so-called ASEAN-plus-three summit Saturday and the
16-nation East Asia Summit on Sunday, which, however, were canceled due to
security reasons.
The ASEAN-plus-three groups the 10 members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- plus Japan, China and South
Korea. The East Asia Summit brings together the 13 countries plus Australia,
New Zealand and India.
==Kyodo
