HANOI (AFP) — Vietnam and other United Nations Security Council members should take a strong stand against North Korea's missile programme, a visiting US senator said Tuesday.
Republican Lindsey Graham made the comment after Pyongyang hailed its weekend rocket launch as a victory that put a satellite into orbit, but the United States and its allies say the satellite never made it into space and Sunday's launch was really a ballistic missile test that failed.
"Vietnam sits on the Security Council and we would urge Vietnam along with China and all members of the Security Council to take a strong stand against the North Korean missile programme," Graham said at a press conference with two other visiting senators, Republican John McCain and Democrat Amy Klobuchar.
"I believe it is very dangerous for the entire world to allow North Korea to develop a missile that can deliver a nuclear weapon," Graham said.
Communist Vietnam, a non-permanent member of the Council, on Sunday said it "hopes the relevant parties have a prudent reaction, find a reasonable solution" while not complicating the situation and affecting regional peace and stability.
World powers struggled to agree on a response to the North Korean launch. China and Russia both urged restraint while Washington is pushing for a stern Security Council response.
But the world body is split and the United States has hinted it may not insist on a binding resolution.
The three US senators are on an Asian tour that was to take them to Beijing -- North Korea's closest ally -- on Wednesday.
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