The United States on Thursday introduced a new draft resolution mandating sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear test.

The resolution, cosponsored by Britain, France, Slovakia, Japan, Denmark and Greece, condemns the nuclear test, demands that North Korea immediately return to the six-party talks without precondition, and requires that all member states prevent the sale or transfer of arms, luxury goods, and material and technology related to North Korea's nuclear, ballistic missile or other weapons of mass destruction programs.

The draft also encourages all concerned countries "to intensify their diplomatic efforts to facilitate the early resumption of the six-party talks, with a view to achieving the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to maintaining peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia."

Despite differences in the Council, US ambassador John Bolton said the Council should try to respond to a nuclear test within the same week that the test occurred and the United States would push for a vote on the resolution Friday.

But Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin urged the United States not to rush to a vote. "The international community will easily understand if on the matter of this gravity and importance, the Security Council will take a few more days to have a reasoned and united response to the challenge we face from this explosion in North Korea," he said.

Chinese ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya also shared the view by saying the Security Council needs to send a strong, clear message to North Korea, but there are differences over what language will be effective, especially in terms of providing more room for diplomatic efforts.

He urged the Council to take "firm, forceful and also appropriate" action.

The new draft resolution remains under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which includes sanctions, blockages and military actions to deal with threats to international peace and security. But there is no automatic use of force unless the Council specifically authorizes it.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2006)