DAWEI
MOSCOW (Reuters)":
RUSSIA AND China urged North Korea yesterday to head off a looming diplomatic crisis in its nuclear negotiations with the rest of the world after reports that Pyong-yang is preparing to test a ballistic missile.
Moscow summoned North Korea's ambassador to explain the U.S. reports, which say Pyongyang has prepared a missile for launch, while China urged North Korea and Washington to find a breakthrough in talks over North Korea's missile programme.
The public comments by the veto-wielding U.N. Security Council members, who usually try to soften Western criticism of Pyongyang, underlined the growing tension over North Korea that has hit financial markets, prompted Japan to muster naval ships and the United States to activate a missile defence system.
"It was stressed that any steps that could negatively impact regional stability and complicate the quest for a way to settle the nuclear problem on the Korean peninsula were undesirable," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.
APPEAL FOR CALM
China appealed for calm yesterday and said North Korea's claim to have a sovereign right to test its missiles, and U.S. criticism that a test would violate existing agreements, were making the problem difficult to resolve.
Chinese vice-foreign Minister Wu Dawei said Beijing hoped the parties would resolve the problem through negotiations.
North Korea said on Wednesday it wanted new direct talks with the United States.
Washington rejected the proposal and demanded Pyongyang return to stalled multilateral talks aimed at persuading the North to abandon its nuclear arms programme in return for aid and security promises.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said yesterday that Washington was committed to a diplomatic solution and ready for negotiations.
