Russia expresses regret over NKorea nuclear issue скачать в хорошем качестве

Russia expresses regret over NKorea nuclear issue

(30 Dec 2002) 1. Wide shot of press conference by high-ranking foreign ministry officials 2. Cutaway of the foreign ministry's official emblem 3. Journalists 4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yevgeny Afanasiev, Director of the First Department for Asia, Foreign Ministry: "We are strongly in favour of the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula and the continuation of the inter-Korean dialogue. Therefore, we cannot but express our regrets over Pyongyang's latest decision to expel IAEA experts from the country and start preparations for the resumption of the uncontrollable operation of the nuclear power compound." 5. Journalists 6. Wide shot of the press conference 7. Journalists 8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Lysenko, Director of the Disarmament and Security Department, Foreign Ministry: "The legal, political, and diplomatic potential has not yet been exhausted. It would be, therefore, counterproductive and premature to talk about sanctions. At present, it is first of all necessary to maintain all possible diplomatic contacts, which are already underway." 9. Press conference 10. Wide shot end of the press conference STORYLINE: Russia's Foreign Ministry has called on North Korea to fulfill its international nuclear nonproliferation obligations and expressed "regrets" over Pyongyang's decision to expel inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In recent weeks, North Korea has cut UN seals and impeded surveillance equipment at the Yongbyon reactor and its spent fuel pond, a fuel rod fabrication plant and a reprocessing facility. North Korea had agreed to freeze the facilities, which experts believe were used to make one or two weapons in the 1990s, in a 1994 deal with the United States that brought Pyongyang economic benefits. Pyongyang said earlier this month that it planned to reactivate the nuclear facilities to produce electricity because Washington had failed on a pledge to provide energy sources. After Washington warned it away from reviving the Yongbyon plant, North Korea said U.S. policy was leading the region to the "brink of nuclear war." South Korean officials said Monday that there were signs Pyongyang was preparing to pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, meaning that would have no obligation to allow outside inspections. Mikhail Lysenko, director of the Foreign Ministry's security and disarmament department, described it as a very serious step, but said it was too early to talk about sanctions against North Korea. Russian Foreign Ministry officials said that Russia was holding consultations with North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, and China. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...