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Chinese diplomat calls sanctions relief best solution to North Korean issue

The draft resolution by China and Russia also suggests the resumption of six-party talks

BEIJING, December 19. /TASS/. The resumption of six-party talks and also a partial sanctions relief would be the best solution to solving the Korean Peninsula issue, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui told reporters on Thursday commenting on a Russian-Chinese draft resolution on North Korea.

"The draft resolution by China and Russia indeed mentions the goal of denuclearization and the importance of continuing dialogue, in particular the resumption of six-party talks," Luo Zhaohui said. The document also suggests a partial sanctions relief, he noted.

"We believe that in current conditions this is the best proposal on ironing out the Korean Peninsula’s issue and maintaining peace and stability there," the diplomat said. The Russian-Chinese draft resolution shows the two countries’ contribution to solving the North Korean crisis, he stressed.

On Monday, Russia and China submitted to the UN Security Council a draft resolution calling for a sanctions relief to improve the humanitarian situation in North Korea. The document suggests lifting restrictions on certain types of goods needed for infrastructure projects. It also calls for US-N.Korean dialogue to be continued at all levels.

The six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which involved Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea, the United States and Japan, were suspended in 2008 at North Korea’s initiative because of disagreements with Washington. When tensions escalated on the peninsula a number of countries, including Russia and South Korea, called for resuming dialogue in this format.