By Xinhua,
New York : The UN Security Council began Sunday afternoon a closed-door meet to discuss how to respond to the rocket launch of North Korea, as the US and France demanded “strong action” against the communist country.
The 15-nation Council kicked off the emergency session at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday at the request of the Japanese Mission to the UN.
US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice told reporters here shortly before the beginning of the meeting that Washington calls for “a strong collective action” from the Security Council.
“We have been in consultation with our allies in the region, and other partners in the Security Council,” Rice said before she entered the Security Council chamber.
“The session today provides us a valuable opportunity to pursue the consultation and work towards an agreement on a strong collective action,” she said.
French UN Ambassador Jean- Maurice Ripert told reporters that the Security Council “should act in an unanimous way” after the rocket launch by Pyongyang.
France, together with Britain, the US and the South Korea, has already begun to ponder over a draft resolution to be presented to the emergency Council meeting, diplomats said here earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Ambassador to the UN, Yukio Takasu, told reporters: “We have made serious diplomatic efforts together with interested countries, and urged North Korea not to go ahead with the launch because it threatens regional stability.”
“But we really worried about the possible danger,” he said. “Thank god it didn’t fall on Japan. But it doesn’t change the situation. It threatens international peace and security situation, not only Japan.”
The official media of North Korea Sunday reported that the country successfully launched a rocket carrying a communications satellite. South Korean and Russian news agencies also said it was a satellite launch.