Russia calls for UN meeting on Koreas

UN Security Council

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156105.html

Russia has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the growing tensions between North and South Koreas.

Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said on Saturday that his respective government wants the Security Council to send a "restraining signal" to North Korea and resolve the disputes between the Koreas through diplomatic means.

He expressed regret that the Council did not convene its emergency meeting on the issue on Saturday, AP reported.

The US mission to the UN has announced that the meeting is scheduled to be held on Sunday because other council members need time for further consultations.

Russia's request comes a few hours after North Korea served a warning to South Korea over holding live-fire artillery exercises on the Yeonpyeong border island.

The upcoming exercise "would make it impossible to prevent the situation on the Korean Peninsula from exploding and escape its ensuing disaster," Pyongyang said in a statement.

South Korean officials, however, have vowed to carry out the drills on Monday or Tuesday.

Russia and China have expressed concern over the situation in the Korean Peninsula, urging South Korea to cancel its plans for the exercises.

On November 23, North Korea allegedly shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.

The North says the attack was in retaliation to artillery shells from the South Korean side that had landed in its waters.