ID :
124527
Thu, 05/27/2010 - 07:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/124527
The shortlink copeid
Kosachev considers threat of war between two Koreas very high.
MOSCOW, May 26 (Itar-Tass) - State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee
chairman Konstantin Kosachev considers the threat of war between two
Koreas very high.
The Duma lawmaker called for settling the conflict on the basis of an
expertise and not emotions. The key role should be played by the U.N.
Security Council, which should conduct a thorough examination of the
incident following the sinking of the South Korean corvette "Cheonan",
Kosachev told Russia 24 TV Channel on Wednesday.
"The threat of war is very high because passions ran high. South Korea
is sure that its corvette is sunk by North Korea's torpedo. It seems that
there are conclusions drawn by the international commission in which
Russia does not take part," Kosachev said.
According to the lawmaker, "North Korea is trying to explain this
situation by any additional conflicts and excesses. Yesterday Pyongyang
took a decision to suspend all relations. It increases its military
presence and takes other diversionary steps."
At this moment, Russia should take a weighty position. "In our view,
it is timely to talk who is right and who is wrong. We should study the
commission's conclusions. This is technical information. We should act
based upon who is right and who is guilty in this incident," he said.
"Of course, in all conclusions the military scenario is the worst
scenario because for us the Korean Peninsula is a border territory. We
border South Korea through North Korea. Destabilisation in the region
causes direct damage to our security and our interests," he said.
"It is absolutely correct that the Russian president and the Foreign
Ministry call for restraint in order to sort things out at the negotiating
table and not by using torpedoes and other similar instruments," Kosachev
said. He added, "This problem must be solved at the U.N. Security Council.
Moreover, North Korea possesses of nuclear arms. According to certain
data, the South can also have elements of U.S. nuclear forces. Therefore,
if the war begins, the course of war will be unpredictable. It will pose a
threat to global security and it should be discussed in the U.N. Security
Council on the basis of expert analysis and not emotions."
Kosachev told Itar-Tass Russia should "put pressure" to prevent the
escalation of violence on the Korean Peninsula.
"But pressure should be exclusively political. The use of force is
inadmissible on neither side," the Duma lawmaker stressed. He recalled
that Russia bordered the territories of the Korean Peninsula and sought to
solve the problem by peaceful means.
Kosachev noted that it was important to ensure peace in the region,
primarily for reasons of global security and stability. "According to
unconfirmed information, Pyongyang will continue working on its nuclear
programme and South Korea, also according to unconfirmed reports, can have
American nuclear arms on its territory," he said.
At the same time, the lawmaker said he did not rule out that Russia
would join the U.N. Security Council's measures to put pressure on
Pyongyang if North Korea's involvement to torpedo South Korea's Cheonan
ship was proved. "If really North Korea torpedoed the South Korean ship,
it is inadmissible and must be condemned and require the world community's
interference," Kosachev said.
Russia is thoroughly studying the South Korean president's appeal in
connection with the sinking of the South Korean combat corvette Cheonan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin met with South Korean
Ambassador in Moscow Lee Yoon-Ho on Monday to discuss the matter.
"Lee Yoon-Ho informed [the Russian side] of the contents of the
appeal by President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak to the nation
in connection with the publication of the results of the investigation by
the commission of the circumstances of the sinking of the Navy ship
Cheonan in the Yellow Sea on March 26, 2010," the Foreign Ministry said.
Borodavkin assured the South Korean ambassador that "the Russian side
will study the contents of the presidential appeal most thoroughly".
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Saturday telephoned
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him of the results of the
investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan.
The South Korean foreign minister stressed that the evidence gathered
indicate that the Cheonan was sunk by a North Korean torpedo.
Lavrov expressed condolences in connection with the incident and
assured his South Korean counterpart that "Russia will study the materials
of the investigation and information on the incident coming from other
sources most thoroughly".
He stressed the need "for all interested parties to show restraint and
caution in order to avoid an escalation of tensions on the Korean
Peninsula".
The Cheonan as sunk in the Yellow Sea on March 26 near the
delimitation line with North Korea. The commission created by the South
Korean government, helped by foreign experts, came to the conclusion that
the corvette had been destroyed by a torpedo fired from a small North
Korean submarine.
-0-yur
chairman Konstantin Kosachev considers the threat of war between two
Koreas very high.
The Duma lawmaker called for settling the conflict on the basis of an
expertise and not emotions. The key role should be played by the U.N.
Security Council, which should conduct a thorough examination of the
incident following the sinking of the South Korean corvette "Cheonan",
Kosachev told Russia 24 TV Channel on Wednesday.
"The threat of war is very high because passions ran high. South Korea
is sure that its corvette is sunk by North Korea's torpedo. It seems that
there are conclusions drawn by the international commission in which
Russia does not take part," Kosachev said.
According to the lawmaker, "North Korea is trying to explain this
situation by any additional conflicts and excesses. Yesterday Pyongyang
took a decision to suspend all relations. It increases its military
presence and takes other diversionary steps."
At this moment, Russia should take a weighty position. "In our view,
it is timely to talk who is right and who is wrong. We should study the
commission's conclusions. This is technical information. We should act
based upon who is right and who is guilty in this incident," he said.
"Of course, in all conclusions the military scenario is the worst
scenario because for us the Korean Peninsula is a border territory. We
border South Korea through North Korea. Destabilisation in the region
causes direct damage to our security and our interests," he said.
"It is absolutely correct that the Russian president and the Foreign
Ministry call for restraint in order to sort things out at the negotiating
table and not by using torpedoes and other similar instruments," Kosachev
said. He added, "This problem must be solved at the U.N. Security Council.
Moreover, North Korea possesses of nuclear arms. According to certain
data, the South can also have elements of U.S. nuclear forces. Therefore,
if the war begins, the course of war will be unpredictable. It will pose a
threat to global security and it should be discussed in the U.N. Security
Council on the basis of expert analysis and not emotions."
Kosachev told Itar-Tass Russia should "put pressure" to prevent the
escalation of violence on the Korean Peninsula.
"But pressure should be exclusively political. The use of force is
inadmissible on neither side," the Duma lawmaker stressed. He recalled
that Russia bordered the territories of the Korean Peninsula and sought to
solve the problem by peaceful means.
Kosachev noted that it was important to ensure peace in the region,
primarily for reasons of global security and stability. "According to
unconfirmed information, Pyongyang will continue working on its nuclear
programme and South Korea, also according to unconfirmed reports, can have
American nuclear arms on its territory," he said.
At the same time, the lawmaker said he did not rule out that Russia
would join the U.N. Security Council's measures to put pressure on
Pyongyang if North Korea's involvement to torpedo South Korea's Cheonan
ship was proved. "If really North Korea torpedoed the South Korean ship,
it is inadmissible and must be condemned and require the world community's
interference," Kosachev said.
Russia is thoroughly studying the South Korean president's appeal in
connection with the sinking of the South Korean combat corvette Cheonan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin met with South Korean
Ambassador in Moscow Lee Yoon-Ho on Monday to discuss the matter.
"Lee Yoon-Ho informed [the Russian side] of the contents of the
appeal by President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak to the nation
in connection with the publication of the results of the investigation by
the commission of the circumstances of the sinking of the Navy ship
Cheonan in the Yellow Sea on March 26, 2010," the Foreign Ministry said.
Borodavkin assured the South Korean ambassador that "the Russian side
will study the contents of the presidential appeal most thoroughly".
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Saturday telephoned
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him of the results of the
investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan.
The South Korean foreign minister stressed that the evidence gathered
indicate that the Cheonan was sunk by a North Korean torpedo.
Lavrov expressed condolences in connection with the incident and
assured his South Korean counterpart that "Russia will study the materials
of the investigation and information on the incident coming from other
sources most thoroughly".
He stressed the need "for all interested parties to show restraint and
caution in order to avoid an escalation of tensions on the Korean
Peninsula".
The Cheonan as sunk in the Yellow Sea on March 26 near the
delimitation line with North Korea. The commission created by the South
Korean government, helped by foreign experts, came to the conclusion that
the corvette had been destroyed by a torpedo fired from a small North
Korean submarine.
-0-yur
