Russia ready for new six-nation talks on North Korean nuclear problem - Kosachyov
MOSCOW. May 29 (Interfax) - The North Korea situation has come to an impasse, and six-nation negotiations should be resumed, Federation Council International Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said on Facebook.
"There is only one way out, i.e. to resume the six-nation format involving the said countries [the United States, Japan, and South and North Koreas], as well as China and Russia. I am sure that the latter two are ready for that. All that remains to be done is to persuade and bring the rest to their senses," Kosachyov said.
The latest missile test conducted by Pyongyang "demonstrates that the situation is cyclic, it is a closed cycle that leads to a dead-end and a kind of battle between a shell and armor," he said.
The United States, Japan and South Korea have been putting political, economic and military pressure on North Korea, and many of those measures look rather provocative, Kosachyov said, referring to the exercises simulating an attack on the North Korean capital city, the THAAD missile defense deployment, and the threats to change the regime by force.
"Being a non-transparent, non-democratic and therefore unpredictable state, North Korea is using every available means to defend itself in disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and universal criticism of its conduct, which is obviously at odds with the will of the international community and the international law," Kosachyov said.
There is no military solution to this stand-off, as it does not exist in principle, he said.
"The only way out is to break the vicious circle of mutual threats. This is about politics, diplomacy and guarantees," the parliamentarian said.
"There should be guarantees of non-interference for the one part, and collective guarantees of compliance with the Security Council resolutions certified by the Security Council itself, the re-engagement in the non-proliferation regime, and the resumption of cooperation with the world for the other part," Kosachyov said.
Such guarantees can be only mutual and collective, he said.
Yet every new cycle makes it more difficult to persuade the sides, he said.
"Time is against collective security interests. North Korea and the United States with its allies are equally responsible for the crisis," Kosachyov said.