Britain, France say support North Korea sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 9 (Reuters) Britain and France said today that they would support sanctions against North Korea after Pyongyang said it conducted an underground nuclear test.

''The discussion will be on sanctions,'' France's UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told reporters on his way to a UN Security Council session. ''The time has come to have a Chapter 7 resolution.'' Chapter 7 makes a resolution mandatory for all UN members and allows for sanctions and even war. But the Security Council has to state specifically what kind of action members want.

''Action under Chapter 7 is what is appropriate,'' Britain's Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry told reporters. ''We will have to look at what sort of measures can be agreed by the council. But certainly the United Kingdom would support proposals put down to that effect.'' North Korea announced today that it conducted an underground nuclear test. The UN Security Council had urged North Korea on Friday not to carry out a test, warning Pyongyang of unspecified consequences if it did.

REUTERS PDM ND1942