JAPAN/NORTH KOREA: DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003812 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2016 TAGS: KNNP PREL PARM UNSC IAEA JA NK SUBJECT: JAPAN/NORTH KOREA: DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER YABUNAKA PROPOSES TARGETED SANCTIONS, RUSSIA OPPOSED. REF: STATE 110160 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ). ¶1. (C) In the course of a July 7, 2006 meeting to discuss reftel demarche, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yabunaka told Ambassador Schieffer and Russian Ambassador Alexander Losyukov that the United Nations must send a strong, clear and united message that North Korea's recent launching of several ballistic missiles will not be tolerated in the form of a strongly worded resolution that includes limited and targeted sanctions. Russian support for such a resolution is critical; Japan also is lobbying other G8 nations to support the resolution, according to Yabunaka. Ambassador Losyukov agreed that the United Nations must take some sort of action but argued that sanctions likely would result in the end of the Six Party Talks. The six parties involved must maintain a dialogue; to that end, diplomatic pressure should be gradual and not include comprehensive sanctions, according to Ambassador Losyukov. ¶2. (C) Yabunaka told Ambassador Losyukov that division among the G8 members and United Nations Security Council members would weaken the collective effort to penalize North Korea. Noting that there are many different options available under Chapter VII and that Russia already has condemned the missile launches, Yabunaka argued that any resolution, in addition to limited sanctions, must call on North Korea to return to the Six Party Talks for more negotiations. Ambassador Losyukov told Yabunaka that it is difficult to comment on whether sanctions are appropriate without understanding the possible implications for that course of action. ¶3. (C) Pointing out that North Korea carried out the launches despite clear warnings from the international community, Ambassador Schieffer emphasized that the international community must act now in order to demonstrate to North Korea that bad behavior will not go unpunished. Ambassador Schieffer also told Yabunaka and Ambassador Losyukov that we must break the cycle of brinkmanship diplomacy by showing North Korea there are real penalties for its behavior. ¶4. (C) North Korea would be unlikely to return to the Six Party Talks if sanctions are imposed, resulting in North Korea becoming further isolated, according to Ambassador Losyukov. He added that the international community stands to lose all of its levers of influence with the North other than force or the threat of force. Yabunaka explained that Japan favors limited sanctions targeted against North Korea's ballistic missile and WMD programs, such as the export of sensitive equipment. Ambassador Losyukov pointed out that the Missile Technology Control Regime already targets those items and questioned why a United Nations resolution is needed to duplicate that effort. Yabunaka and Ambassadors Schieffer and Losyukov agreed that further discussions between the nations involved were needed urgently to reach a consensus on an effective response to North Korea's actions. SCHIEFFER