Russia, China Seek to Avoid Chaos in North Korea With New Sanctions - Envoy
12:30 14.04.2017(updated 12:52 14.04.2017)
Russia and China do not task themselves with causing social and economic chaos in North Korea with new sanctions mulled by the United States, Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora told Sputnik.
PYONGYANG (Sputnik) – On Thursday, the US State Department spokesman said that Washington is expecting that Beijing will use its "economic leverage" over North Korea to persuade Pyongyang abandon its nuclear aspirations.
"We must resolve the main task related to the prevention of nuclear missile programs, but we do not have the task of blowing up the economic situation or cause socioeconomic chaos. there is no such task for us or for China," Matsegora said.
"The sanctions adopted by individual countries – the United States, Japan, South Korea, the European Union – we believe that these sanctions are illegitimate and we do not support them. We consider unacceptable the US promises to impose secondary sanctions," he said.
The UN Security Council is not discussing anti-North Korea sanctions yet, he said.
"So far, no sanctions have been discussed in the UN Security Council. Perhaps they will be discussed if there is a new test or launch," Matsegora said, noting that "more than enough sanctions" have been adopted against Pyongyang.
Russia is working with the United States and North Korea on relaunching six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program, Matsegora told Sputnik.
"Naturally, we are making efforts to resume negotiations. We are working with our Korean colleagues, with US partners," Matsegora said.
He said that the "one step forward, two steps back" efforts make it impossible to determine when the six countries would sit at the negotiating table, "but it will happen for sure."
On April 5, North Korea reportedly launched a ballistic missile from Sinpho, South Hamgyong province, in the direction of the Sea of Japan.
US officials announced on Saturday that an aircraft carrier strike group was sent to the Korean peninsula amid rising tensions.
On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Herbert McMaster said that President Donald Trump had ordered preparation of all possible options in order to protect the United States and its partners from the threat emanating from North Korea.
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005. The United States, Japan and South Korea, as well as Russia and China, took part in talks with Pyongyang between 2003 and 2009 on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, but North Korea withdrew from the talks.
© Sputnik
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