Russia Vows to Take Preventive Measures in Face of DPRK Nuke Crisis

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 11, 2003

Russia Vows to Take Preventive Measures in Face of DPRK Nuke Crisis

Russia is thinking to take preventive measures to defend its national interests due to the worsening situation on the Korean Peninsula, a top diplomat said Friday.

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Russia is thinking to take preventive measures to defend its national interests due to the worsening situation on the Korean Peninsula, a top diplomat said Friday.

"We are forced to think about preventive measures to defend our national interests and -- why hide it -- to defend our population on territories bordering Korea in case of a serious conflict in the region," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

"The Russian leadership has given instructions to relevant agencies on this matter," Losyukov said.

He warned that the crisis could spiral out of control.

"As a result of the US and DPRK's positions, which do not facilitate the beginning of negotiations, the crisis on the Korean Peninsula is continuing to exacerbate and is approaching a line beyond which an uncontrolled reaction is possible.

"In our view, this is fraught with great danger."

Losyukov's statement came two days after a UN Security Council meeting on the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) yielded no substantive results.

The crisis began last October when Washington said the DPRK had admitted to running a secret nuclear program in breach of a 1994 bilateral accord.

The US suspended fuel deliveries to the DPRK. In response, the DPRK announced its withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January and later reactivated a nuclear reactor for the purpose of generating electricity.

Russia has been trying to arrange direct talks between the DPRK and the United States, but Washington has rejected such negotiations, insisting the dispute be dealt with in a multilateral manner.

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