UNSC draft statement shows unity in Cheonan incident
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Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said Thursday that she circulated a draft statement at the UN Security Council and the statement "shows the Council's unity" in response to the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in March.
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U.S. Permanent Representative to UN Susan Rice speaks to the media at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States, on July 8, 2010. Susan Rice said here Thursday that she circulated a draft statement at the UN Security Council and the statement "shows the Council's unity" in response to the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in March. [Shen Hong/Xinhua] |
The draft statement represents "clear, appropriate response" to the Cheonan incident, in which 46 South Korean sailors were killed, Rice said.
Rice said that she tabled the draft statement at the closed- door Security Council meeting on Thursday afternoon after the five permanent members (P5) of the Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- reached an agreement on the draft statement.
"At the meeting the United States tabled a presidential statement that has been agreed by the P5 plus 2. That is the U.S., France, Britain, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan," Rice told reporters at the end of the closed Council meeting.
"The proposed statement needs no interpretations. It's very clear and an appropriate response that if approved by the full Council would send a unified message that the Security Council condemns the attack of the March 26 that led to the sinking of the Cheonan," she said.
At the closed Council meeting, the United States presented the draft presidential statement to the 10 non-permanent members of the 15-nation Security Council. The Council needs consultations before it adopts the draft statement.
It "is very clear in that it takes a clear account of the findings of the joint investigation and it condemns the attack," she said. "It puts forth a factual foundation and it expresses the Council's judgment that the attack on the ship is to be condemned and that no further attacks against the Republic of Korea should be contemplated."
"In short, this important statement shows the council's unity in confronting threats to peace and security," Rice said. "It underscores the importance of preventing further attacks, and emphasizes the critical need to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the larger region, we very much look forward to working with partners in the Security Council to moving this draft forward for issuance and adoption."
On March 26, the South Korean Cheonan, with 104 crew members aboard, went down off the ROK island of Baekryeong off the west coast due to an unexplained explosion.
Seoul said after completing an investigation that the warship was torpedoed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). But Pyongyang has denied its involvement in the incident.
On June 4, the ROK delivered a letter formally requesting the Security Council to take action over the sinking of its warship. The Security Council has not reached any conclusion on the issue yet.
