France UN ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert (left), said: 'We are working, we need some time,' as South Korea's Yonyap news agency said North Korea had fired off a short-range missile overnight into the Sea of Japan. -- PHOTO: AFP
UNITED NATIONS - THE UN Security Council needs 'some time' to finalize a resolution sanctioning North Korea for its latest nuclear and ballistic missile tests, diplomats said on Tuesday.
'Our discussions and our deliberations will indeed take some time,' Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said following a 'P5 + 2' meeting between the five permanent council members (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States), Japan and South Korea.
Sanctions may target N.Korea's finances
WASHINGTON - IN THE long diplomatic struggle over North Korea's nuclear programme, sanctions have rarely gotten a rise out of the regime in Pyongyang, which time and again has proved impervious to outside pressure.
Liberalisation can help N.Korea's economy: Nouriel Roubini
SEOUL (South Korea) - IMPOVERISHED North Korea can liberalise its economy while maintaining its political system if it follows the path taken by China and Vietnam, prominent economist Mr Nouriel Roubini said on Wednesday.
'I think the lesson is that progressive economic opening and liberalisation even in a formerly centrally controlled economy can lead to beneficial changes,' Mr Roubini told reporters on the sidelines of a technology forum.
France's UN ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said: 'We are working, we need some time.' Their comments came as South Korea's Yonyap news agency said North Korea had fired off a short-range missile overnight into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the latest in a series since its underground nuclear test on Monday.
The reclusive communist regime fired three short-range ground-to-air missiles from locations near its east coast on Monday and two more off its east coast on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported. Those missiles were said to have a range of 130 kilometres.
The 'P5 + 2' is first seeking consensus to draft a resolution before presenting those basic elements to other Security Council members.
On Monday, the council unanimously condemned North Korea for its nuclear test, as major powers mulled fresh punitive action and US President Barack Obama pledged support to Pyongyang's neighbours.
The UN Security Council said the nuclear and missile tests violated UN Resolution 1718 adopted in October 2006 after North Korea's first atomic test.
The resolution forbids the reclusive regime from conducting any future nuclear tests or missile launches. -- AFP
