Draft UN council statement "condemns" N.Korea launch

UNITED NATIONS, April 11 (Reuters) - A draft U.N. Security Council statement "condemns" North Korea's long-range rocket launch and says it contravened a previous council resolution banning ballistic missile and nuclear tests by Pyongyang.

The draft statement, which the five permanent members of the Security Council and Japan agreed and circulated to the other nine council members on Saturday, also called on the U.N. sanctions committee to take steps to enforce existing sanctions against North Korea. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; editing by Patrick Worsnip)