Russia wants deal on U.N. response to North Korea launch

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia voiced hope on Tuesday that major world powers would agree on a U.N. response to North Korea's weekend rocket launch that Washington and Japan say violated U.N. rules and cannot be left unpunished.

Washington, Tokyo and Seoul say North Korea's launch on Sunday of a long-range ballistic missile violated U.N. Security Council resolutions, imposed in 2006 after nuclear and missile tests, that ban the firing of such missiles by Pyongyang.

The 15-nation Security Council held a 3-hour emergency meeting on Sunday but took no action apart from agreeing to return to the issue. Russia and China, with the support of three other council members, made clear that they opposed U.S. and Japanese demands for a resolution punishing North Korea.

The five permanent members of the Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia -- plus Japan met at U.N. headquarters on Monday to explore a possible compromise, but Japan and the three Western powers failed to persuade Russia and China that strong condemnation was needed.

Diplomats from the six powers planned to meet again on Tuesday. Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Konstantin Dolgov told reporters he hoped they could agree on a response that could be put to the full council for approval.

Asked if he thought the six were any closer to a deal, he said, "Hopefully, that's why we are discussing things."

"So far we are not yet there," he added.

One diplomat close to the talks on Monday described the situation as a "stalemate."

"HASTY CONCLUSIONS"

As permanent council members, China and Russia have veto powers and have made clear they would be prepared to use them to stop new sanctions on Pyongyang. The United States and Japan would like a resolution that expands existing financial sanctions against North Korea.

But U.N. diplomats say the United States and Japan might have to accept a non-binding warning statement from the council instead of a legally binding resolution.

A Western diplomat said China was proposing a weak statement. "The Chinese have come up with a completely watered down text which is unacceptable to us," the diplomat said. "It's not even worth discussing."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday the council should not rush to any conclusions on North Korea, which says the rocket placed a satellite into orbit.

"We must avoid any hasty conclusions," Lavrov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying in Moscow. "Clearly this situation does not cause joy, it causes our concern. We would like to have a clear understanding of all details."

Both Moscow and Beijing call for restarting the six-party nuclear talks between the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia, which have been stalled since December.

The United States, Japan and South Korea insist that the rocket launch was a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1718, which the council adopted unanimously after North Korea's nuclear test in October 2006.

China and Russia are not convinced it was a breach.

"We believe the U.N. Security Council should act carefully concerning resolution 1718," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing.

"There are similarities but also differences between rocket and missile technology," she said. "Launching a satellite is different in nature from firing a missile or a nuclear test. This issue also involves the right of all countries to peaceful use of outer space."

Beijing, the nearest North Korea has to a major ally, has said any U.N. reaction must be "cautious and proportionate."

NORTH KOREA SHOWS ROCKET FOOTAGE

Analysts said the launch of the rocket, which soared over Japan during its 3,200 km (2,000 mile) flight, was effectively a test of a ballistic missile potentially capable of carrying a warhead as far as the U.S. state of Alaska.

The U.S. military said no part of the Taepodong-2 rocket entered orbit, despite Pyongyang's claim that a satellite is now transmitting data and revolutionary music.

North Korean state television broke into regular broadcasting on Tuesday to show footage of the rocket taking off from the Musudan-ri missile base in the northeast.

Tokyo said that to ignore a blatant violation of U.N. rules would harm the reputation of the Security Council.

"If the violation is left as it is, the credibility and the authority of the Security Council will be undermined," Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told a news conference. "We are working with countries involved so that the security council can together send out a strong message soon."

Analysts said the launch showed the impoverished North had increased the range of its missiles even though it may be years away from building a missile to threaten the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's defiance also grabbed global attention for his destitute state and may have bettered his hand by using the negotiating strategy of using military threats to squeeze concessions from regional powers.

(Additional reporting Jon Herskovitz in Seoul, Conor Sweeney in Moscow Isabel Reynolds, Chisa Fujioka and Yoko Kubota in Tokyo; Writing by Louis Charbonneau and Linda Sieg, Editing by Alan Elsner)

Terra/Reuters