国际英语新闻：UN Security Council issues presidential statement on sinking of Korean ship

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a presidential statement on the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in March.

The statement, adopted by consensus, said that the Security Council "deplores the loss of life and injuries and expresses its deep sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and to the people and government of the ROK (Republic of Korea)."

On March 26, the Cheonan, with 104 crew members aboard, went down off the ROK island of Baekryeong off the west coast due to an unexplained explosion, killing 46 sailors.

The presidential statement mentioned the findings of the investigation conducted by the ROK and also took note of the response from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), "which has stated that it had nothing to do with the incident."

Delegates attend the conference of the U.N. Security Council at the U.N. headquarters in New York, the United States, on July 9, 2010. The U.N. Security Council on Friday adopted a presidential statement on the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in March.

"The Security Council condemns the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan," the statement said.

The Security Council "stresses the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Norheast Asia as a whole," the statement said.

"The Security Council reaffirms the importance that all member states uphold the purpose and principle of the Charter of the United Nations," the statement said.

The Security Council "encourages the settlement of outstanding issues on the Korean Peninsula by peaceful means to resume direct dialogue and negotiation through appropriate channels as early as possible, with a view to avoiding conflicts and averting escalation," the statement said.

On June 4, the ROK delivered a letter formally requesting that the Security Council take action over the sinking of its warship. On June 8, the DPRK sent a letter to the president of the Security Council to deny its involvement in the incident.

Speaking to the press after the adoption of the presidential statement, Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, voiced hope that all parties concerned will continue to exercise restraint and take the opportunity to turn the page on the Cheonan incident as soon as possible.

Li also called for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks to make joint efforts to maintain peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

The Six-Party Talks, which were launched in 2003 and involve China, the DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since December 2008.