*EPF308 04/09/2003
U.S. Wants Peaceful Solution for North Korean Nuclear Issue
(UN Security Council holds talks on the topic) (640)

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- The United States April 9 urged North Korea to accept diplomatic efforts to address its nuclear program and emphasized that Washington seeks "a peaceful resolution so that North Korea can come into compliance with its international obligations."

Speaking with journalists after a closed-door Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said the United States welcomed the council's discussion.

"North Korea's recent actions -- announcing its intention to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), restarting its reactor, and preparing for reprocessing -- all threaten the stability of northeast Asia. It's not just a matter of getting the North to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea must also accept a reliable verification regime," said Negroponte, the chief U.S. envoy to the United Nations.

The April 9 meeting was the Security Council's first on the North Korean issue since North Korea announced on January 10 that it was withdrawing from the NPT and expelling International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. The council, however, was unable to agree on any kind of statement after meetings among the five permanent members -- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States -- as well as the 15-member council as a whole.

In February, IAEA's governing board voted overwhelmingly to send the North Korean issue to the Security Council. North Korea has said it would consider a condemnation from the Security Council a prelude to war.

North Korea's withdrawal from the treaty becomes official on April 10 when the formal 90-day notification period ends.

"We don't rule out further (Security Council) consultations on the issue, although we have not set any particular timetable or date for further consultations amongst us," Negroponte said. "We haven't taken any options off the table."

Security Council President Adolfo Zinser of Mexico said "members of the council expressed their concern" during the consultations, and "the council will continue to follow developments on this matter."

According to Secretary General Kofi Annan, "everyone has been trying to ensure that it is dealt with peacefully." He noted that U.N. special envoy Maurice Strong has been to the region twice in an effort to encourage talks.

"I think the next step really is to get the parties talking and to find a format that will be acceptable to both parties and bring them to the table to talk," Annan said.

Negroponte said the U.S. hopes that "North Korea will not reject diplomatic efforts to address its nuclear program and by doing so, further isolate itself from the international community. In the meantime, it is important that North Korea not take further escalatory steps."

"This is an issue of active diplomacy between ourselves and countries concerned in the region," Negroponte said. "As far as the diplomatic context that is taking place in the region, they are multifaceted; they are taking place bilaterally, multilaterally between all of the countries in the region around the Korean peninsula -- China, Japan, South Korea and so forth."

Negroponte pointed out that "President Bush has repeatedly said that we seek a peaceful and diplomatic end to the North Korean nuclear arms program. The President has proposed a multilateral forum to discuss paths to verifiable elimination of the North Korean nuclear weapons program and a more stable and prosperous future for all the people on the peninsula and in the region."

"North Korea's neighbors have urged Pyongyang to take this opportunity," the U.S. ambassador said. "Achieving a multilateral solution may take time but efforts can proceed on several tracks. The United States seeks a peaceful resolution so that North Korea can come into compliance with its international obligations."

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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