NK willing to take 'positive actions' to ensure peace on the peninsula
Source: Agencies |
May 25, 2013, Saturday
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A NORTH Korean envoy told Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday that his country was willing to take "positive actions" to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, as China steps up diplomatic efforts to bring Pyongyang back to talks.
But Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, made no offer to abandon the country's nuclear program.
The United States insists North Korea takes meaningful steps on denuclearization before there can be dialogue.
Choe presented a hand-written letter from Kim to Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. It wasn't revealed what it contained.
Choe told Xi: "North Korea is willing to make joint efforts with all parties to appropriately resolve related issues through multilateral dialogue and consultations like the six-party talks, and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula," Xinhua news agency reported.
"To this end, North Korea is willing to take positive actions," Choe added.
Xi told Choe that the denuclearization of the peninsula was an aspiration of all peoples and an inevitable trend, saying problems should be resolved through talks.
"China hopes all sides exercise calm and restraint, push for a lessening of tensions, restart the six-party talks process and make unremitting efforts ... for long-lasting peace and stability."
Choe said it was the sincere wish of North Korea to create a peaceful external environment to develop its economy and improve people's livelihoods.
It was ready to work with other parties to solve relevant issues through multiform dialogue and consultation, including the six-party talks, said Choe.
The aid-for-disarmament talks, involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, Japan, Russia and host China, collapsed in 2008 when North Korea walked away from the deal.
China has been pushing for a return to talks after weeks of bellicose words from Pyongyang following new United Nations sanctions after its third nuclear test in February.
Russia welcomed North Korea's declaration of readiness to return to talks and said it deserved a "positive assessment," the Interfax news agency quoted the Russian foreign ministry's special envoy Grigory Logvinov as saying.
Earlier yesterday, a top Chinese general told Choe that Beijing wanted a peaceful, denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, said tensions surrounding the nuclear issue had "intensified strategic conflicts among involved parties and jeopardized the peace and stability of the peninsula.
"In recent years, the state of affairs around the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue frequently turns into one escalation of tensions after another," Xinhua quoted Fan as saying.
"The conflicting strategies of all parties have intensified, jeopardizing peace," Fan said.
Choe told Fan peace could not be assured although North Korea wanted it in order to build the country, and it was willing to work with all sides in solving problems. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia is complex and extraordinary, and there is no guarantee of peace," Xinhua quoted Choe as saying.
Choe and his entourage spent three days in Beijing in full military regalia, in contrast to the mostly civilian leaders he met, though he changed out of his uniform to meet Xi.
"Sending Choe in military uniform as an envoy to China means North Korea still wants to stick to their right to have a nuclear arsenal," said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Affairs at Seoul National University.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye is planning to visit China next month.
But Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, made no offer to abandon the country's nuclear program.
The United States insists North Korea takes meaningful steps on denuclearization before there can be dialogue.
Choe presented a hand-written letter from Kim to Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. It wasn't revealed what it contained.
Choe told Xi: "North Korea is willing to make joint efforts with all parties to appropriately resolve related issues through multilateral dialogue and consultations like the six-party talks, and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula," Xinhua news agency reported.
"To this end, North Korea is willing to take positive actions," Choe added.
Xi told Choe that the denuclearization of the peninsula was an aspiration of all peoples and an inevitable trend, saying problems should be resolved through talks.
"China hopes all sides exercise calm and restraint, push for a lessening of tensions, restart the six-party talks process and make unremitting efforts ... for long-lasting peace and stability."
Choe said it was the sincere wish of North Korea to create a peaceful external environment to develop its economy and improve people's livelihoods.
It was ready to work with other parties to solve relevant issues through multiform dialogue and consultation, including the six-party talks, said Choe.
The aid-for-disarmament talks, involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, Japan, Russia and host China, collapsed in 2008 when North Korea walked away from the deal.
China has been pushing for a return to talks after weeks of bellicose words from Pyongyang following new United Nations sanctions after its third nuclear test in February.
Russia welcomed North Korea's declaration of readiness to return to talks and said it deserved a "positive assessment," the Interfax news agency quoted the Russian foreign ministry's special envoy Grigory Logvinov as saying.
Earlier yesterday, a top Chinese general told Choe that Beijing wanted a peaceful, denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, said tensions surrounding the nuclear issue had "intensified strategic conflicts among involved parties and jeopardized the peace and stability of the peninsula.
"In recent years, the state of affairs around the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue frequently turns into one escalation of tensions after another," Xinhua quoted Fan as saying.
"The conflicting strategies of all parties have intensified, jeopardizing peace," Fan said.
Choe told Fan peace could not be assured although North Korea wanted it in order to build the country, and it was willing to work with all sides in solving problems. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia is complex and extraordinary, and there is no guarantee of peace," Xinhua quoted Choe as saying.
Choe and his entourage spent three days in Beijing in full military regalia, in contrast to the mostly civilian leaders he met, though he changed out of his uniform to meet Xi.
"Sending Choe in military uniform as an envoy to China means North Korea still wants to stick to their right to have a nuclear arsenal," said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Affairs at Seoul National University.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye is planning to visit China next month.
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