The U.N. Security Council is considering a draft statement condemning North Korea's long-range rocket launch earlier this month.
The Council's five permanent members and Japan reached an agreement on a draft statement Saturday and presented it to the full Council within hours.
The draft "condemns" the April 5 launch and says North Korea must comply fully with Security Council Resolution 1718, which banned such launches.
It also says the Security Council will demand North Korea not conduct any further launches. And it calls for an early resumption of six-party disarmament talks with Pyongyang.
Japan had been seeking a Security Council resolution -- a measure seen as a stronger response. But Tokyo now says it would consider a Council presidential statement instead.
The Security Council had been deadlocked for almost a week over how it should respond to the North Korean launch.
The Council's five permanent members and Japan reached an agreement on a draft statement Saturday and presented it to the full Council within hours.
The draft "condemns" the April 5 launch and says North Korea must comply fully with Security Council Resolution 1718, which banned such launches.
It also says the Security Council will demand North Korea not conduct any further launches. And it calls for an early resumption of six-party disarmament talks with Pyongyang.
Japan had been seeking a Security Council resolution -- a measure seen as a stronger response. But Tokyo now says it would consider a Council presidential statement instead.
The Security Council had been deadlocked for almost a week over how it should respond to the North Korean launch.
