WESTERN COUNTRIES edged closer yesterday to reaching agreement with North Korea’s allies on a draft agreement to impose tough new sanctions on the communist country’s weapons exports and put pressure on its finances.
With tensions at their highest on the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War, the UN Security Council could vote as early as today on the draft resolution, which was written by the United States and endorsed by the four other permanent members – Britain, France, China and Russia – plus the countries most at risk from increased nuclear tensions, South Korea and Japan.
Negotiations have been ongoing to come up with a resolution since a nuclear test in May put the secretive regime closer to having a working nuclear device.
The proposed resolution tries to prevent North Korea from obtaining and exporting material and expertise to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and from getting the money to finance its programme. The sanctions allow for inspections of suspect cargo in ports and on the high seas, as well as on land and at airports.
It also calls on the North to halt its weapons programme and resume negotiations under the Six-Party talks held in Beijing.
US ambassador Susan Rice said the resolution had teeth, and would “bite, and bite in a meaningful way” if passed.
Crucially the draft does not allow for the use of military force, an option too difficult for North Korea’s allies, China and Russia to contemplate.
Past sanctions imposed by the UN have been ineffectual, largely because China has vetoed them and continued to supply energy and food to its impoverished ideological “little brother”.
This time, China is said to be on board.
North Korea’s response to the proposals has been defiant.
The North’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper repeated the government line that any sanctions were a “declaration of war” and said the secretive enclave would respond accordingly. Earlier this week, the North said it would use nuclear weapons in a “merciless offensive” if it was provoked.
The North has reportedly been preparing to test-launch a long-range missile that could hit US territory and mid-range missile that can hit all of South Korea and most of Japan.