UNSC presidential statement on North Korea's rocket launch is 'calm and rational: JCP Ichida

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

UNSC presidential statement on North Korea's rocket launch is 'calm and rational: JCP Ichida

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said that the United Nations Security Council presidential statement on the April 5 North Korean rocket launch is calm and rational.

The UNSC presidential statement, which pointed out that the North Korean rocket launch was in contravention of UNSC Resolution 1718, was adopted unanimously on April 13 EST.

Earlier, Ichida commented on the news that the UN Security Council had reached agreement on the draft statement.

Referring to the agreement that the Security Council (1) supports the Six Party Talks, calls for their early resumption; (2) expresses its desire for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the situation and welcomes efforts by Council members as well as other Member States to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, Ichida stated that this is an "acceptable" statement.

Noting that the presidential statement refrained from acknowledging the fact that it was not yet determined if it was a satellite launch or a missile test, Ichida stated that the JCP maintained that it is wrong to judge it as a missile test until definitive proof is obtained.

- Akahata, April 14, 2009