France, Britain and Japan are hoping for a speedy vote on a U. N. resolution that would impose new sanctions against North Korea following its tests of an i
UNITED NATIONS – France, Britain and Japan are hoping for a speedy vote on a U. N. resolution that would impose new sanctions against North Korea following its tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile — but Russia says the text still needs to be discussed and there’s no agreement yet.
The United States gave China, North Korea’s neighbor and ally, a proposed resolution several weeks ago. Ambassadors from both countries said on July 25 that they were making progress, and several diplomats said they are close to agreement on a draft resolution, including a new sector of sanctions and tightening existing measures.
France’s U. N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters Thursday his government would like to see a resolution “with robust and additional sanctions adopted in the very coming days.” Britain’s U. N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said he hopes it will be “very soon.” And Japan’s U. N. Ambassador Koro Bessho said Tokyo wants action as quickly as possible, “days rather than weeks.”
But Russia’s new U. N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said there has been no discussion yet among the five permanent members of the Security Council — the U. S., Russia, China, Britain and France — so “there was no agreement yet.”
Nebenzia said he met privately Thursday morning with China’s Liu and they discussed the possibility of a resolution.
