Kissinger praises India for detaining North Korean ship

The detention of a North Korean ship that had dropped anchor without permission in Indian waters was a "very positive" sign on part of New Delhi, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has said.

"India is imposing the Security Council resolution, and I think it is a very positive sign," Kissinger told the FoxNews in an interview. "India has been very cooperative with us, and they had very many parallel interests with respect to Islamic terrorism and with respect to the nuclear danger," he said.

India had detained the North Korean ship MV Mu San last week off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after it dropped anchor without permission. The detention and a search that followed was in line with a UN resolution allowing inspection of air, ship and land cargoes in and out of North Korea. "I consider that an extremely positive action on the part of the Indian government," Kissinger said.

Noting that nobody knew what the North Koreans have on their ships, Kissinger said: "We ought to understand what the North Korea challenge is". Terming the North Korea's nuclear ambitions as a key issue, Kissinger said: "We have no quarrel with North Korea, as such. But if North Korea becomes a nuclear country in the face of all of these obstacles then we are going to have a grave challenge," he said.