Russian official says U.N. resolution on North Korea 'necessary'

NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- The Russian ambassador to the United Nations said the U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea should be adopted soon, a sign that new sanctions should pass unanimously on Wednesday.

Amb. Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday that the draft sanctions resolution is "not 100 percent perfect" but is necessary, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

After the vote was postponed to Wednesday upon Russia's request, Churkin met with reporters and explained the draft was a "very complex document," Russian news agency TASS reported.

Churkin said the Security Council must adopt the resolution because of the "specific challenges of North Korea."

The Council is expected to vote on the resolution at 10 a.m., and the bill is expected to pass unanimously with Russia's support.

China and the United States already agreed on the details of the draft resolution last week, and after Russia disagreed with the draft's details on Feb. 25, U.S. and Russian delegates had worked overtime to fix some of the terms and conditions.

Churkin said the United States did not accommodate all of Russia's requests but that the two sides are trying to achieve consensus.

A clause on banning aviation fuel exports to North Korea has been eased, according to TASS, after the Russian side requested a revision. The revision would allow for North Korean commercial airliners refueling at Russian airports to receive jet fuel so that its planes can return to their point of origin, Pyongyang.

The Russian delegate also requested the removal of Jang Song Chol from the blacklist of individuals. Jang is believed to be the Russia-based representative of Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, but Churkin said Jang is "not even in Russia."

According to the U.S. Treasury, KOMID is North Korea's primary arms dealer and exporter of goods related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons.

North Korea most recently violated existing U.N. resolutions with a nuclear test in January, followed by the launch of a satellite in February.