Related report: DPRK conducts nuclear
test
BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The international
community on Wednesday responded to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK)'s announcement that it will return to the six-party talks.
The newly designated United Nations secretary-general
on Wednesday urged the DPRK to renounce nuclear weapons and said the United
States and Japan should prepare for normalization of relations with Pyongyang if
it did so.
Speaking to reporters following talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the incoming UN chief, South Korean Foreign
Minister Ban Ki-Moon said the DPRK should renounce nuclear weapons and allow UN
inspectors back.
The U.S. and Japan must "prepare for the
normalization of relations" with the DPRK in response to measures that Pyongyang
should take to diminish fears over its nuclear program, said Ban.
The European Union welcomed the DPRK announcement and
reiterated its support for a peaceful solution to the crisis.
The EU has consistently urged the DPRK to return to
the six-party talks without delay and without predictions, Finland, which
currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a statement.
"The EU will continue to actively support efforts to
resolve the security issue on the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," it
said.
The U.S. said on Wednesday that the DPRK will have a
chance to seek access to its frozen overseas bank accounts when six-party talks
are resumed.
"We will seek to address the issue in the context of
the six-party talks," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news
briefing.
However, the spokesman noted that the best way to
deal with the issue is to get at the root causes, which he said were Pyongyang's
"illicit behavior."
U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday hailed the
DPRK's planned return to the six-party talks on its nuclear program.
"I am pleased and I want to thank the Chinese," Bush
told reporters at the White House after meeting with Andrew Natsios, his special
envoy on Sudan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday
that his country would continue its own sanctions on the DPRK even after the
six-party talks resume.
Abe appreciated the DPRK for its decision to return
to the negotiation table, but insisted that Japan would not stop its unilateral
sanctions until the issues such as missile launches, nuclear tests and abduction
of Japanese nationals were resolved.
The Singaporean government hailed on Wednesday the
DPRK's announcement of the resumption of the six-party talks on the nuclear
program on the Korean Peninsula.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is a
welcome and encouraging development and that Singapore hopes the DPRK and the
other parties will work out a comprehensive solution to the nuclear issue.
At the invitation of China, the heads of delegations
to the talks from China, the DPRK and the United States had an informal meeting
in Beijing Tuesday and agreed to resume the six-party talks soon at a time
convenient to the six parties.
Three weeks after its nuclear tests, the DPRK said on
Wednesday that it was returning to six-party talks.
"The DPRK decided to return to the six-party talks on
the premise that the issue of lifting financial sanctions will be discussed and
settled between the DPRK and the U.S. within the framework of the six-party
talks," said a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry
DPRK had refused to return to six-party talks since
last October due to the U.S.-imposed financial sanctions against it, and claimed
that it would not return to talks unless the U.S. lifts financial sanctions
imposed on a Macao-based bank and DPRK companies, for alleged counterfeiting and
other illegal activities.
Related stories:
U.S.
says DPRK's assets issue can be discussed at six-party talks
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States said
on Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will have a
chance to seek access to its frozen overseas bank accounts when six-party talks
are resumed.
"We will seek to address the issue in the context of
the six-party talks," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news
briefing. Full story>>
DPRK says to return to
six-party talks
PYONGYANG, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Wednesday that it has decided to return to the
six-party talks, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
"The DPRK decided to return to the six-party talks on
the premise that the issue of lifting financial sanctions will be discussed and
settled between the DPRK and the U.S. within the framework of the six-party
talks," said a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry. Full story
Japan to continue sanctions
after DPRK returns to six-party talks
TOKYO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that his country would continue its own sanctions
on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) even after the six-party
talks resume, Kyodo news agency reported.
Abe appreciated the DPRK for its decision to return
to the negotiation table, but insisted that Japan would not stop its unilateral
sanctions until the issues such as missile launches, nuclear tests and
abductions of Japanese nationals were resolved. Full story
U.S. welcomes DPRK's planned
return to six-party talks
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States on
Tuesday welcomed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) pledge to
return to the six-party talks, National Security Council spokesman Gordon
Johndroe said.
"We welcome the announcement and look forward to
resuming the talks soon," Johndroe said. Full story
UN chief hails resumption of
six-party talks
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan hailed on Tuesday the announcement of the resumption of six-party
talks on the nuclear program on the Korean Peninsula.
In a statement released by his spokesman, Annan
welcomed the announcement that China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
and the United States have agreed to a resumption of the talks. Full story
