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Russia may support UN resolution on North Korean rocket launch - Churkin

North Korea on December 12 launched an Unha-3 rocket carrying the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite

UNITED NATIONS, January 19 (Itar-Tass) – The United Nations Security Council next week will most probably adopt a resolution over North Korea’s launch of a satellite-carrying rocket last December, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin told Russian journalists on Friday. Russia may support the draft resolution agreed by the United States and China.

“Most probably the resolution will be adopted at the beginning of next week,” Churkin said. “Our position is this. North Korea’s launch of the ballistic missile, or of a satellite, as they say, was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. There must be a response. I expect that we shall support that draft.”

North Korea on December 12 launched an Unha-3 rocket carrying the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite. The United States, Canada and other allies suspect that in this way North Korea tested a long-range ballistic missile. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any research in that field. Pyongyang’s reluctance to cooperate with the international community resulted in harsh sanctions. Such measures were taken unilaterally by the United States, Japan, South Korea, the European Union and a number of other states.

According to reliable sources, US draft resolution critical of the latest launch is to be circulated among the UN Security Council members during the day. It expands the list of individuals and companies liable to the previously introduced sanctions.