China and Russia introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution Wednesday, calling for the early resumption of the six-party talks on Korean Peninsular nuclear issue.

 

Compared to the Japanese draft, the joint Chinese-Russian one does not make the proposed sanctions mandatory and does not invoke Chapter Seven of the UN charter, which can authorize sanctions or even military action.

 

The draft strongly deplores the multiple launches of missiles by North Korea, and calls for a suspension of such kind of tests.

 

It also calls on all member states to exercise vigilance in preventing supply of items, materials, goods and technologies from North Korea.

 

Meanwhile, the text urges all countries in the region, and in particular North Korea, to show restraint and refrain from any action that might aggravate tension and solve the problem in a political and diplomatic way.

 

It strongly urges North Korea to return immediately to the six-party talks without precondition, and to return to the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as well.

 

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after the circulation at the UN headquarters in New York that the new text formed the basis for the Security Council to send a unified strong signal to North Korea.

 

"It is also a good support for ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation," Churkin argued. "I don't want to sound too optimistic but I think that the ground is there for a successful outcome of this process."

 

Churkin's remarks was echoed by his Chinese counterpart Wang Guangya.

 

The Chinese-Russian proposal would calm the situation in northeast Asia and be beneficial for peace and stability in the region, Wang said.

 

The Chinese ambassador also confirmed that he would veto the Japanese resolution if the council is pressed to vote on that one.

 

However, he expressed hope that through negotiations in the next few days "we can find a way and the language that could unify the whole council."

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2006)