Russia, China, India urge restraint over DPRK

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (C) stands with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi (L) and Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna during their meeting in Moscow April 13, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Foreign ministers of Russia, China and India on Friday urged all concerned parties to show maximum restraint over the failed satellite launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We are convinced that the responses to the challenge need to be only in diplomatic and political ways," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a joint news briefing after meeting with China's Yang Jiechi and India's S. M. Krishna.

The three countries, Lavrov said, also jointly called for a sooner resumption of the six-party talks over the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.

"We call on all parties to show maximum responsibility and restraint and to make efforts for a resumption of the six-party talks," Lavrov said.

He also said that a new sanction against the DPRK is not a good solution to defuse the tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"We do not believe in new sanctions. They will not help resolve the situation," Lavrov said, promising that Russia would work with its partners in the six-party talks to continue facilitating the normalization of the situation in the region.

Answering a question from Xinhua, Yang called on all concerned parties to remain calm and demonstrate restraint over the DPRK's launch.

China hopes that all relevant parties could keep in contact over the situation on the Korean Peninsula and make efforts to maintain the stability and peace in the region, Yang said.

He also called on the parties to restore dialogues, promote mutual understanding and facilitate the resumption of the six-party talks.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi that the DPRK's launch "violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 and adversely impacts peace and stability in the Korean peninsula."

"India calls on DPRK not to undertake actions in violation of UNSC resolutions," the spokesperson said.

The DPRK launched the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite on Friday morning, but the earth observation satellite failed to enter its preset orbit, the country's official KCNA news agency said, adding that scientists, technicians and experts are looking into the cause of the failure.