19.05 UN Head Discusses Syria, North Korea at RIA Novosti
MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited RIA Novosti news agencys central office on Sunday to answer correspondents questions about current world events, including North Koreas latest rocket launches and the war in Syria.
The Secretary General expressed his concern over North Koreas launch on Saturday of three short-range guided missiles. He called on Pyongyang to refrain from provocative acts and return to six-party talks on the issue of its nuclear program.
The missiles fired by North Korea from its east coast are assumed to have fallen into the Sea of Japan.
We are very concerned by these provocative actions by North Korea. I hope North Korea will refrain from further taking such measures, he said. It is time for them to return to dialog, reduce tension. The UN is ready to assist, he added.
Ban said he was counting on Russia to continue to use its contacts to reduce tension and activate dialog with North Korea, adding he had discussed the matter during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Friday.
Rumors appeared in April that North Korea could carry out test firings of its Musudan intermediate range ballistic missile, or firings of smaller Scud and Nodong missiles. Later, South Korean military reports said a Musudan launcher had been deployed on the countrys east coast, but there were no later reports on their movements.
Ban also told RIA Novosti that he hoped that a conference would soon be held on resolving the Syrian conflict, and had spoken to the permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia, United States) to that end.
