SOUTH KOREA: South Korea has requested that the IAEA, the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations, postpone a key meeting on the North Korean nuclear crisis announced for February 3rd, a UN official said yesterday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier yesterday announced that its 35-member board of governors had agreed to meet in Vienna on February 3rd to decide whether the North Korean nuclear crisis should be referred to the UN Security Council.
But an IAEA representative said late yesterday afternoon that there had been a "misunderstanding".
"Intense consultations are going on. It was basically a misunderstanding on the part of the board chairman. She thought consensus was reached and there was not," IAEA spokeswoman Ms Melissa Fleming said.
A UN official said the meeting would "probably take place after February 3rd" at the request of South Korea, which wants more time to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the three-month-old crisis.
"I do not see that there will be any big problem with the resolution. Everybody pretty much agrees on the approach. It is just a matter of timing," he added.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Losyukov, who has just returned from a diplomatic mission to North Korea, said yesterday it was premature to ask the Security Council to step in.
Mr Gwozdecky said he did not want to prejudge the governors' decision, but confirmed that they have been working on a resolution to refer the matter to the Security Council. - (AFP)