The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) demanded
yesterday the United States remove it from a list of states that
sponsor terrorism before further progress can be made on
dismantling its nuclear program.
DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun, addressing Asia-Pacific
foreign ministers in Manila, also said Pyongyang must be removed
from the ambit of the US Trading With the Enemy Act, diplomats
said.
Pak said the DPRK had shut its nuclear operations at Yongbyon
and opened them to IAEA inspections and now wanted to see
reciprocal action.
"All should be done based on action-to-action," Pak was quoted
as telling the closed-door session of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
"Therefore, five other countries, particularly the United States
and Japan, must take action."
The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said a
meeting of ministers from the six countries might happen next
month.
"We hope that there will be another six-party meeting, probably
at the level of ministers, sometime in September," Solana told
reporters in the Philippine capital.
But he cautioned against expecting quick results.
"The way ahead in front of us is long and probably distant."
Pyongyang shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor complex last
month after it began receiving heavy fuel shipments it was offered
in return in a February deal. The next step of the disarmament dea
calls on Pyongyang to "disable" its nuclear facilities and provide
a full accounting of its nuclear weapons programs.
(China Daily via agencies August 3, 2007)
