official Friday evening while refusing to draw final conclusions

The international community yesterday, focused attention on the North Korea, sanctioned the day before a UN resolution adopted unanimously by the Security Council after the nuclear test announced by Pyongyang on October 9. Resolution 1718 provides for an embargo on "weapons and related materials", "material related to nuclear or missile technology," as well as on "luxury goods". It calls on Member States to ensure together these embargoes, including "the inspection of any cargo to destination or Korea of the North". The resolution also asked UN member countries to freeze funds linked to non-conventional weapons programs.

The original version of this text, developed by the United States, was softened on several occasions to take account of resistance from the Russia and China, close ally of North Korea. The American President, George w. Bush, however, found that the world had sent a unanimous message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "This initiative of the United Nations, which was fast and strong, shows that we are United in our determination to see a nuclear-free Korean peninsula", he said.

"Cautiously pessimistic".

The British Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margaret Beckett, has called the resolution of "strong and United response", while Tokyo, by the voice of his Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has welcomed the "strong message" to Pyongyang Envoy. Supporter of a hard line against North Korea's neighbor, the Japan found yesterday that he should provide logistical support to the US military during the inspections of North Korean freighters planned sanctions.

The South Korea, which the process of rapprochement with the North appears to now compromised, said that she supported the resolution and has promised to implement. Australia, faithful ally of the United States, but which is one of the few countries to maintain diplomatic relations with the Korea of the North, also welcomed a resolution described as "surprisingly strong". Paris also welcomed the decision of the Council, concluding "essential" for the international community that it is firm and United then that it faced "other crises of proliferation."

The decision of the United Nations comes as the authenticity of the North Korean nuclear test begins to be established, after the collection of radioactive particles into the atmosphere near the site where Pyongyang says have conducted his experiment. "According to a preliminary analysis, which happened in North Korea is similar to a nuclear explosion", said under cover of anonymity a U.S. official, Friday evening, while refusing to draw final conclusions. Intense diplomatic efforts will be yet deployed this week to assert the unity of the international community after the North Korean test and specify the terms of the sanctions. The Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, will be as early as Wednesday in the region for an Asian tour that the will lead to the Japan, in Korea in the South, then in China, from 17 to 22 October.

The resolution of the Security Council was immediately denounced by the North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, who criticised "of the methods of gangsters". However, diplomacy door remains ajar, according to the Russian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Alexiev. After talks in Pyongyang, the Russian leader indicated that the Korea of the North always manifested the desire to resume negotiations to six (China, the two Koreas, United States, Japan, Russia) on the denuclearization of the peninsula Korean initiated three years ago, and Pyongyang has slammed the door in November 2005. Alexander Alexiev added, however, that he had not personally great hopes on this subject and that it was "cautiously pessimistic" with regard to a possible resumption of these talks.