United Nations – Key U.N. Security Council members neared agreement late Thursday on a resolution that would impose sanctions on North Korea for its claimed nuclear test.
The United States reported significant progress in bridging differences with Russia and China, which had sought to moderate the tough sanctions proposed in the U.S. draft resolution.
The upbeat message came after more than two hours of closed-door negotiations among ambassadors from the five permanent council nations – the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France – and Japan’s ambassador, who is the council president.
The preliminary deal was struck after the United States, acting at the request of China, included assurances that the resolution could not be used as a pretext for future military action against North Korea.
The U.S. said it hoped a vote could be held today, although close ally Japan said Saturday was more likely.
“We have made very substantial progress,” U.S. Ambassador John Bolton told reporters after the meeting. “I don’t want to say we’ve reached agreement yet, but many, many of the significant differences have been closed, very much to our satisfaction.”
A new draft of the resolution was sent to capitals Thursday night so ministers can examine the latest changes. Bolton said the full Security Council will meet this morning.
In the latest version, the United States dropped the idea of a weapons embargo against North Korea and made clear that it was seeking only nonmilitary sanctions to punish the isolated country for exploding a nuclear device Monday in defiance of international warnings.
China’s U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, agreed that “good progress has been made” in improving the text. Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said there had been “a number of improvements” and, importantly, council unity “is in good shape.”
“We should act with a cool head and moderation and also do everything to achieve a political, diplomatic outcome of this problem – and this is the spirit we had in those discussions,” Churkin said. “It’s not assured we’re going to get there, but the mood is good and the effort is good too.”
North Korea warned it would have a firm response to sanctions, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported from Pyong yang.
“We will take strong countermeasures,” Kyodo quoted Song Il Ho, North Korea’s ambassador in charge of diplomatic normalization talks with Japan, as saying.
The U.S. draft calls the situation in North Korea, in particular the test the government claimed, “a clear threat to international peace and security” and authorizes sanctions under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter.
China opposes any mention of Chapter VII, which allows punishments ranging from breaking diplomatic ties and imposing economic sanctions to naval blockades and military action.
But Wang reiterated Thursday that sanctions should be limited to the nonmilitary measures authorized under Article 41, which is part of Chapter VII. They include economic penalties, breaking diplomatic relations or banning air travel.
A previous U.S. draft called on all states to undertake and facilitate inspection of cargo going to and coming from North Korea to ensure compliance with sanctions. The new draft would allow states to inspect cargo “as necessary.”
The latest U.S. proposal also drops a call to freeze assets from other “illicit activities such as those related to counterfeiting, money-laundering or narcotics.”
“We’re almost there,” said Japan’s U.N. ambassador, Kenzo Oshima.
Earlier, an American push for tough, swift sanctions had been set back, in an echo of the obstacles the U.S. faces in a similar effort to punish Iran.
China sent an emissary to the White House, Tang Jiaxuan, who met with President Bush on Thursday and appeared to be walking a line between punishing North Korea and preventing the United States from taking measures that would seriously threaten the regime, according to the deputy national security adviser, J.D. Crouch.
And a senior Bush administration official said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was considering a trip to Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo as early as next week to negotiate punitive steps over and above those that might be acceptable to the full Security Council.
U.S. officials, while acknowledging how difficult it will be to win Security Council backing for the tough sanctions they prefer, insist that even a weaker resolution would send a strong signal of international condemnation.
Asked if the United States would settle for less than a unanimous vote, Bolton said, “We would always like the highest number of votes in the Security Council, and we have not given up on our efforts to achieve that, but we have also said that it’s important that we send a very clear signal.”
The New York Times contributed to this report.
