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North Korea had right to test-fire missile: Putin
Khaleej Times, (AFP)
21 October 2003
MOSCOW - North Korea had not validated international norms by test-firing a short-range missile earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday quoted by Interfax.
“These rockets do not break any rules,” the news agency quoted the Russian leader as saying on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok.
“They are not linked to North Korea’s nuclear program and therefore do not go outside the frameworks” of international non-proliferations agreements, said Putin.
“For this reason, we are neutral” on the subject of the test, Putin said.
On Monday, North Korea test-fired a short-range anti-ship missile into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) for the third time this year as part of routine military exercises, according to according to South Korean officials.
An unconfirmed report of a fourth test on Tuesday came for Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK) on its midday bulletin which referred to unspecified “information” about a new missile test.
Moscow, which has attempted to mediate in North Korea’s nuclear standoff with the United States, has urged Washington to issue a formal security guarantee to Pyongyang.
In recent years, Moscow has sought to repair relations with the isolated Stalinist state, which broke down following the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Russian officials have largely defended North Korea’s position in its conflict with the United States.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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