Xinhua - English

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) rejected further talks on its nuclear program because of U.S. breakdown, Choe Su Hon, Deputy Foreign Minister of the DPRK, said Tuesday.

"It is quite preposterous that the DPRK, under the groundless U.S. sanctions, takes part in the talks of discussing its own nuclear abandonment," Choe said in his speech to the general debate of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.

"This is the matter of principle intolerable of even the slightest concession," he stressed.

Choe reiterated that the DPRK maintains its consistent position to resolve the issue of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula peacefully through dialogue and negotiations, adding it is willing to hold the talks more than any other countries.

"However, the United States, soon after the announcement of the Joint Statement, has spent no time in imposing financial sanctions up on the DPRK," he severely blamed the United States.

What the United States had done eventually scrapped the already-agreed itinerary for the following rounds of the talks and created the present impasse, the deputy foreign minister argued.

He pointed out that "it is crystal that the United States is not in favor of the Six-Pary Talks and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

Meanwhile, Choe emphasized the importance of the implementation of the North-South Joint Declaration which was signed on June 15, 2000.

Under the banner of the Joint Declaration and under the ideals of By Our Nation Itself, the DPRK will surely achieve the national reunification by firmly realizing the cooperation in three areas of national independence, peace against war and patriotism for reunification. Enditem

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government supports and encourages the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to hold direct bilateral talks.

"We hope they, as the major responsible parties, can resolve the relevant issues through negotiations with flexible and pragmatic attitudes", Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Tuesday. Full story >>>

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