Russia holds out on latest U.N. resolution draft on North Korea: source

(ATTN: UPDATES with Russia's response from Moscow in paras 6-7)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- Russia has rejected the latest version of a draft U.N.
Security Council resolution to punish North Korea's recent nuclear test, taking
issue with wording on Pyongyang's missile program, an informed diplomatic source
here said Wednesday.
South Korean media reported earlier in the day that the five permanent members of
the council agreed with South Korea and Japan, who are participating in the
negotiations as related parties, to a new resolution calling for tough financial
sanctions and an expanded arms embargo on North Korea, along with inspections of
air and sea vessels suspected of shipping weapons.
But Russia, a time-honored ally of the North, refused to endorse the revised
draft, which demands that North Korea "not conduct any launch using ballistic
missile technology," according to the source, who asked not to be named
apparently due to the sensitivity of the issue.
"Russia insists that the wording in Resolution 1718 is sufficient," the source said.
Resolution 1718, adopted in 2006 after the North's first known underground
nuclear blast, prohibits the North from engaging in a "launch of a ballistic
missile."
In Moscow, however, the foreign ministry said Russia has not dismissed any drafts
of a future UNSC resolution on North Korea.
"The Russian delegation has not rejected any drafts. We continue to take the most
active part in the work on a compromise document," a foreign ministry official
was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying.
Meanwhile, Russian military officials were quoted as saying that they have
information on the North's plan to launch another ballistic missile, They,
however, do not know the timing of the launch, according to Interfax news agency.
North Korea fired a long-range rocket on April 5 and claimed it successfully
orbited a satellite. South Korea and its allies believe the launch was a
disguised missile test.
Intelligence authorities in Seoul said that they have detected signs the North is
moving to shoot another long-range missile from a recently constructed base in
its northwest.
Despite Moscow's holdout, Russia and other nations will be able to reach a deal
on the new U.N. resolution on North Korea very soon, the source said.
"I think a resolution will be adopted as early as on Thursday (New York time),"
the source said.
If produced, it would be the result of more than two weeks of intensive
diplomatic wrangling among the seven nations.
Shortly after the North's nuclear test on May 25, the U.S. put forward a
menu-style proposal numerating sanctions it wants to impose on Pyongyang.
China and Russia, however, have cautioned against punishing the North too
severely out of fear that it may destabilize their already isolated neighbor.
"The initial draft has been revised three or four times so far," the source said.
According to the latest version, leaked to an Internet news outlet last weekend,
the U.N. council condemns the North's nuclear activity "in the strongest terms."
It also "decides that all Member states are authorized to inspect vessels, with
the consent of the flag state, on the high seas, if there are reasonable grounds
to believe that the cargo of such vessel contain (illicit weapons)."
China reportedly asked for the word "decides" to be changed into "call upon," and
the proposal was accepted by other nations.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)