Russia regrets North Korea’s rocket launch

The emergency session was initiated by Japan and the US. Russia supports consideration of the rocket launch by the UN Security Council, the Russian mass media reported referring to a source in the executive authorities.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry expressed deep regret over North Korea’s rocket launch, which was conducted regardless of the opinion of the global community. Moscow noted that Pyongyang had violated the UN Security Council’s resolution banning North Korea’s rocket launches with the use of ballistic technologies.

The US, Japan and South Korea condemned North Korea’s rocket launch. South Korea’s president Lee Myung-bak held an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. At that meeting the rocket launch was named as a threat to the peace on the Korean peninsula and on the whole planet. Tokyo expressed its discontent to Pyongyang and deep regret over the rocket launch. Japan’ Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura spoke for introduction of additional sanctions of UN against North Korea and the US administration called the launch a provocative act. The White house said that the violation of number of the UN resolutions by Pyongyang would have consequences for that country. Here is a statement Georgy Toloraya, Director of Korean Research at the Institute of Economics, made in an interview with the Voice of Russia.

"In Russia we believe that resolutions must be observed and UN decisions must be implemented. We think that North Korea has the right for space explorations but only after all the issues linked with the UN sanctions banning rocket launches with the use of ballistic technologies are settled. It is necessary to divide two aspects - we support the discussion of the rocket launch issue by the UN Security Council but we don’t think that this must automatically mean tougher sanctions against Pyongyang. I think that China will take the same position with regard to further measures against North Korea."

On Wednesday morning North Korea launched a heavy rocket with a satellite. Later Pyongyang announced that the scientific satellite had been successfully brought into orbit. Russia’s main center for missile attack warning fixed the launch of the North Korean rocket.

Alexei Zolotukhin, spokesman of Russia’s air and space defense forces said that the trajectory of the rocket flight was beyond Russia’s territory and did not pose any threat for the country’s security.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that during the rocket launch neither rocket nor its fragments had posed danger for the country.

The first fragment of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea, the second one fell into the East China Sea and the third one fell into the Pacific Ocean. All the fragments landed in the areas, the coordinates of which had been sent by Pyongyang to the international organizations. All the three areas were at a distance of about 200 km from the territories of South Korea and the Philippines.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang announced that it was going to dismantle the rocket due to technical problems on the launch site. That is why the rocket launch came to be quite unexpected.

NATO condemns N. Korea rocket launch

NATO strongly condemned North Korea`s rocket launch, saying it went against U.N. Security Council resolutions.

“This provocative act exacerbates tensions in the region and risks further destabilizing the Korean peninsula. We continue to call on the North Korean authorities to fulfill their obligations under international law”, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement.

Russia voices 'deep regret' over N.Korea rocket launch

Russia expressed "deep regret" over North Korea's rocket launch on Wednesday, saying the reclusive nation had violated a U.N. Security Council resolution limiting its use of ballistic technology.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the North Korean launch had increased instability in the region and called on other nations to refrain from actions that would further escalate tensions.

UNSC to hold emergency consultations on N. Korea rocket launch

The UN Security Council is meeting for emergency consultations on North Korea’s launch earlier today of a carrier rocket with a satellite on board.

The consultations are due on Wednesday at the UN Headquarters, according to an informed source.

The Unha-3 booster with the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite on board blasted off from the Sohae launching site on Wednesday morning.

According to the Korean Central News Agency of DPRK, the satellite has since been successfully placed into orbit.

The world community suspects that Pyongyang is actually engaged in test-firing ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

North Korea is banned from test-firing this kind of missile by relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

N. Korea launch a 'provocative' breach of UN orders: Ban

UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned North Korea's missile launch as a "provocative act" in clear breach of UN Security Council resolutions, his spokesman said.

"The secretary-general is concerned about the negative consequences that this provocative act may have on peace and stability in the region," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Voice of Russia, RIA, AFP, Reuters, TASS