UNSC Fails to Issue Statement over N. Korea Missile Launches

New York, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)--The U.N. Security Council on Friday failed to issue a statement over a recent series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea.

At an emergency meeting on the day, 13 of the 15 Security Council members denounced or expressed concerns over the missile launches while the other two--China and Russia--maintained their stances of defending North Korea.

North Korea has been banned from conducting ballistic missile launches under related Security Council resolutions adopted in and after 2006.

In May this year, the council put to vote a U.S.-led draft resolution for imposing additional sanctions on Pyongyang, but it was scrapped as China and Russia, allies of North Korea, vetoed it. Last month, the Security Council tried to adopt a press statement, but met opposition from Beijing and Moscow.

At Friday's meeting, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said North Korea "has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council," apparently referring to China and Russia. "These members have bent over backward to justify" North Korea's repeated violations of the Security Council resolutions.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]