UNITED NATIONS, August 30. /TASS/. North Korea’s missile and nuclear program should be ended, and all problems of the Korean Peninsula should be solved through peaceful means, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Tuesday.
"We reiterate that North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs should be ended promptly and without delay," the Russian diplomat said after a closed meeting of the UN Security Council. "Ballistic missile launches pose a serious threat for maritime and air traffic in the region and threaten civilians, in this case - citizens of Japan"
He called on North Korea to fully comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
"We call for full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions," he continued. "Pyongyang should stop these programs and return to nuclear non-proliferation regime, observe IAEA rules and join the Chemical Weapons Convention."
"At the same time, members of the Un Security Council should search for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution for problems on the Korean Peninsula," Nebenzya said. "The UN Security Council should seek to ease tensions in the region. There is no other way."
"We oppose North Korea’s missile launches, but, at the same time, as we have repeatedly said, attempts to solve problems on the Korean Peninsula through sanctions and pressure produce little effect. This way will not help us to achieve the intended result. Besides, this way envisages no possibility of entering constructive talks with North Korea," the Russian diplomat said.
"There is no military solution to the Korean Peninsula problems, and UN Security Council resolutions should stress this," he said. "It is also necessary to rule out additional unilateral sanctions against North Korea on top of those already imposed by the UN Security Council."
Nebenzya also spoke in favor of demilitarization of the Korean Peninsula and stressed "the urgent need to create an atmosphere of trust among the region’s nations."
Early on Tuesday, Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile that flew over Japan’s northeastern territories and most likely splashed down in the Pacific some 1,180 kilometers east of Cape Erimo, Hokkaido. According to the South Korean military, the missile covered a distance of 2,700 kilometers, with maximum flight altitude of 550 kilometers.