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Russian official said Moscow will support a UN Security Council's resolution on the nuclear crisis in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), should a direct dialogue shape up between Pyongyang and Washington.
"The Russian delegation abstained from voting on the draft resolution passed by the IAEA yesterday to denounce North Korea (DPRK). We believe that if the issue is moved to the United Nations, this will not contribute to inducing a constructive and trustful dialogue between the two sides," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia to be published on Feb. 14.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution in Vienna on Wednesday declaring the DPRK in "non-compliance" with UN safeguards and decided to send the issue to the UN Security Council.
Russia and Cuba abstained in the vote at the meeting of IAEA's 35-nation Board Governors.
Russia has described the decision as "premature" and "counterproductive" and is opposed to holding debates on the issue at the UN Security Council.
Losyukov, who visited the DPRK as Russian presidential envoy on Jan. 18-21 to help mediate the standoff, reiterated Russia's call on the DPRK to comply with the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
He also stressed that the issue must be resolved "exclusively" by political and diplomatic means.
"The threat of a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula is quite feasible and its consequences would be very harsh," warned the diplomat.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2003)
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