Moscow opposed to tough measures against North Korea

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MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - "We have urged the North Koreans to show maximum restraint and to return to the negotiating table," announced Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 24.

"It is important that all participants in the six-party talks take a similar stand and refrain from steps that could aggravate the situation," he said.

There should be no doubt that Moscow will oppose any tough measures related to the North Korean nuclear problem, which was exacerbated by Pyongyang's recent nuclear test. At the very least, Moscow will continue to support six-party talks involving North Korea, the United States, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan. At most, it will press for direct American-North Korean negotiations.

This position is based on Moscow's view of the developments and what brought them about.

Russia believes that the situation deteriorated after the U.S. accused North Korea of having resumed its uranium enrichment program in October 2002, an allegation that was not supported by any evidence. When America suspended construction of two light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea, despite their bilateral framework agreement, Pyongyang responded by officially withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. What followed is well known.

The situation in the autumn of 2002 could have been salvaged. With that goal in mind, six-party talks commenced in Beijing in August 2003. Two years later they managed to agree on a joint statement, whose crucial points were North Korea's commitment to abandon nuclear weapons and return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and the IAEA, while the U.S. announced it was ready to improve relations with Pyongyang and to discuss supplying the ill-fated light-water reactor to North Korea within an acceptable period of time.

After the adoption of the statement, the parties were expected to start working on a roadmap that would clearly lay out future steps to settle the crisis, i.e. to implement the agreements outlined in the statement. No such luck.

Washington violated the principle agreed upon during the Beijing talks: a promise for a promise, an action for an action. In September 2005, the U.S. initiated restrictions against North Korean accounts with the bank Delta Asia in Macao, accusing Pyongyang of laundering profits from missile exports, counterfeiting U.S. dollars and pirating goods. Although these allegations have not been proved, there is no sign that America intends to lift financial restrictions against North Korea. On the contrary, it seems determined to further toughen them.

Since Pyongyang's nuclear tests, the U.S. has been trying to involve other countries in these efforts, arguing that the money North Korea receives from "illegal operations" could be deposited in any lending institution in the world. Japan and Australia have already introduced unilateral sanctions against North Korea.

Of course, Pyongyang has reacted negatively to these moves, viewing them as an attempt to introduce a financial and economic blockade to "stifle" the country's regime and thereby topple it. In fact, as Moscow sees it, the country's defiant missile tests last July and recent nuclear tests were its response to increasing pressure from America.

Russian officials and independent experts alike say that negative developments around the North Korean nuclear problem were to a large extent provoked by Washington.

Mikhail Titarenko, director of the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said, "North Korea has been cornered largely due to U.S. policy, and now it is important to give it an opportunity to edge out with dignity."

A well-informed source in Moscow close to the talks gave the following outline of the Russian position:

"Russia unequivocally denounces North Korea's nuclear move, which undermines the international non-proliferation regime. It demands that Pyongyang take immediate steps to return to the NPT and resume six-party talks. It would be a good idea for the U.S. and North Korea to hold negotiations to settle bilateral differences."

This is the stand Russia is sticking to in the UN Security Council as well. At the same time, it believes that it is important to take measures that will persuade Pyonyang to adopt a more sensible position.

By cooperating with the other parties involved, Russia will do its best to avoid a worst-case scenario and to bring the matter back to the negotiating table.

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