UN powers agree on draft North Korea sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – World powers yesterday agreed to expand sanctions to punish North Korea for  its recent nuclear test and weapons program, as Russia said it  expected the North to launch another provocative missile test.

The draft U.N. sanctions resolution, written by the United  States and endorsed by the four other permanent Security  Council members, plus Japan and South Korea, was discussed at a  closed-door meeting of the 15-nation Security Council.

“If all goes well we’re expecting a vote on the resolution  on Friday,” a U.N. diplomat told Reuters on condition of  anonymity. Delegations will now send the draft to their  capitals to see if it is acceptable.

The agreement ended more than two weeks of closed-door  negotiations. The United States, Britain, France, Japan and  South Korea all demanded tough sanctions against Pyongyang for  its May nuclear test, but Russia and China held out for a  milder resolution to avoid provoking North Korea.

The draft “condemns in the strongest terms” North Korea’s  nuclear test last month and “demands that (it) not conduct any  further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile  technology.”

The end result reflected compromises to satisfy Chinese and  Russian objections. Beijing and Moscow had opposed language in  earlier drafts requiring all countries to inspect North Korea  ships carrying suspicious cargo that might violate a partial  U.N. trade and arms embargo.

In the latest version, the Security Council “calls upon”  states to inspect suspicious sea, air and land cargoes but does  not demand it. However, the draft resolution would require  countries to deny fuel to any suspicious North Korean ships and  direct them to dock at “an appropriate and convenient port.”

Once docked, the draft says local authorities would conduct  a “required inspection” and must seize and destroy any cargo  transported in violation of U.N. sanctions.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin explained this  point, saying that for the country controlling the port, “it is  your responsibility and you are being called upon by the  Security Council to do this inspection.”