(20 Jun 2006)
1. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General and French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, sitting together
2. Cutaway of photographer
3. De Villepin and Annan walking from entrance of Matignon palace to microphones
4. SOUNDBITE: (French) Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General:
"I hope that the North Korean leader will hear and listen to what the world is saying: we are all worried. North Korea should be very careful not to create an even more complicated situation within region."
5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Dominique de Villepin, French Prime Minister:
"We share these concerns and of course, if such missile tests should take place, the international community will have to give a strong and fair answer, and of course, the Security Council will have to adopt the necessary measures. It is a matter of security in the area. It is the international community's will to make everybody respect their obligations."
6. Cutaway of guard
7. Annan and de Villepin walking towards car
8. Various of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy in meeting
9. Tilt down from chandelier to Douste-Blazy and Downer sitting down
10. Cutaway people watching
11. Douste-Blazy and Downer signing a taxation treaty and then shaking hands
12. Downer speaking to press
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister:
"Obviously, if North Korea decides to turn its back on the agreement that it signed with the other five members of the six-party talks process last year, and goes ahead and starts testing a long-range missile, a Taepodong missile has very substantial range by all accounts, well that will cause a substantial degree of outrage in east Asia, in particular the Japanese will be very concerned about it and are likely to refer the matter to the Security Council if that happens."
14. Downer with journalists
STORYLINE:
The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged North Korea on Tuesday not to go ahead with a plan to test-fire a long range missile.
"North Korea should be very careful not to create an even more complicated situation within region," said Annan during a visit to Paris.
Following a meeting with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Annan said he hoped "the North Korean leader will hear and listen to what the whole world is saying: we are all worried".
De Villepin said that France shared the Secretary-General's concerns.
He said any North Korean missile test would draw a firm international response.
"The Security Council will have to adopt the necessary measures," he said.
Also in Paris on Tuesday for a meeting with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer echoed the concerns of Annan and de Villepin.
He said that if North Korea carried out the testing of long-range missile Taepodong-2, it would send shockwaves throughout Asia.
"In particular the Japanese will be very concerned about it and are likely to refer the matter to the Security Council if that happens," he warned.
The missile in question is believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a firing range that experts estimate could be up to 15-thousand kilometres (9,300 miles).
The United States and Japan have already said they would consider sanctions against North Korea and push the UN Security Council for retaliatory action should the launch go ahead.
Pyongyang demonstrated its ability to hit Tokyo when it fired a missile over northern Japan into the Pacific in 1998.
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