ID :
81401
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 09:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/81401
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea must be held accountable unless denuclearized: Obama
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday he is committed to diplomacy in seeking the nuclear dismantlement of North Korea and Iran, but warned they will be held accountable if they refuse international calls for their denuclearization.
"I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more
secure peace, for both nations, if they live up to their obligations," Obama told
the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
"But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international
standards -- if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional
stability and the security and opportunity of their own people, if they are
oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and
the Middle East -- then they must be held accountable," he said.
Obama's remarks came amid signs of thawing relations between the U.S. and North
Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong-il, last week reportedly expressed his intention to
talk multilaterally as well as bilaterally about its nuclear programs.
Pyongyang had for months threatened to abandon the six-party talks on ending its
nuclear ambitions, citing international sanctions for its nuclear and missile
tests earlier this year, and demanded bilateral talks with the U.S. for a
breakthrough.
Washington insisted on the North coming back to the six-party talks, but recently
softened its stance by saying it may hold bilateral talks to woo the reluctant
North back to the multilateral table.
Obama told Chinese President Hu Jintao at a bilateral meeting in New York Monday
that "bilateral talks between the U.S. and North Korea could be useful if they
contributed to restoration of that framework and a serious North Korean
commitment to those goals," a senior U.S. official said.
Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, may visit
Pyongyang in late October or early November after Chinese Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao attends a ceremony in Pyongyang in early October to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two communist
allies.
Kim is expected to meet Wen to give his opinion on the six-party talks, which
China has been hosting since their inception in 2003.
In the speech to a gathering of hundreds of heads of state and other senior
officials from abroad, Obama reiterated his administration's pledge to continue
sanctioning North Korea under U.N. resolutions unless the North takes steps
toward denuclearization.
"In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to
take us down this dangerous slope," he said. "We respect their rights as members
of the community of nations. The world must stand together to demonstrate that
international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced."
While meeting with China's Hu Tuesday, Obama "stressed the importance of the U.S.
and China continuing to vigorously implement the U.N. resolutions and for there
to be demonstrable solidarity between the U.S. and China on this issue because,
absent solidarity, that would provide openings for bad behavior on the part of
the North Koreans."
Obama also warned that any proliferators of nuclear weapons will face consequences.
"I will also host a summit next April that reaffirms each nation's responsibility
to secure nuclear material on its territory and to help those who can't, because
we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent
extremist," he said. "We will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives
that combat nuclear smuggling and theft. All of this must support efforts to
strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations
must face consequences."
Just before his speech to the U.N. assembly, Obama met with Japanese Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama to discuss North Korea and other issues of mutual
concern.
Obama told reporters after the meeting that they "pledged to coordinate very
closely together on a range of international threats -- everything from nuclear
proliferation, the situation in North Korea, how we can help to stabilize
Afghanistan and Pakistan, and how we address transnational issues like climate
change."
Hatoyama said for his part that he highly approves of President Obama's
"leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament."
The Japanese premier did not elaborate, but said in an interview with the
Washington Post that he supports Obama's plans for bilateral talks with North
Korea to revive the six-party talks.
"I very much hope through that process the U.S. will be able to lead us back to
the six-party talks," Hatoyama said. "In that context, I welcome bilateral talks
between the U.S. and North Korea. But we don't want everything to be settled in
the framework of U.S. bilateral talks."
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Chinese Premier Hu also threw
their support for Washington's plans for the one-on-one dialogue with Pyongyang
when they met with their U.S. counterparts earlier this week in New York.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday he is committed to diplomacy in seeking the nuclear dismantlement of North Korea and Iran, but warned they will be held accountable if they refuse international calls for their denuclearization.
"I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more
secure peace, for both nations, if they live up to their obligations," Obama told
the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
"But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international
standards -- if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional
stability and the security and opportunity of their own people, if they are
oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and
the Middle East -- then they must be held accountable," he said.
Obama's remarks came amid signs of thawing relations between the U.S. and North
Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong-il, last week reportedly expressed his intention to
talk multilaterally as well as bilaterally about its nuclear programs.
Pyongyang had for months threatened to abandon the six-party talks on ending its
nuclear ambitions, citing international sanctions for its nuclear and missile
tests earlier this year, and demanded bilateral talks with the U.S. for a
breakthrough.
Washington insisted on the North coming back to the six-party talks, but recently
softened its stance by saying it may hold bilateral talks to woo the reluctant
North back to the multilateral table.
Obama told Chinese President Hu Jintao at a bilateral meeting in New York Monday
that "bilateral talks between the U.S. and North Korea could be useful if they
contributed to restoration of that framework and a serious North Korean
commitment to those goals," a senior U.S. official said.
Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, may visit
Pyongyang in late October or early November after Chinese Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao attends a ceremony in Pyongyang in early October to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two communist
allies.
Kim is expected to meet Wen to give his opinion on the six-party talks, which
China has been hosting since their inception in 2003.
In the speech to a gathering of hundreds of heads of state and other senior
officials from abroad, Obama reiterated his administration's pledge to continue
sanctioning North Korea under U.N. resolutions unless the North takes steps
toward denuclearization.
"In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to
take us down this dangerous slope," he said. "We respect their rights as members
of the community of nations. The world must stand together to demonstrate that
international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced."
While meeting with China's Hu Tuesday, Obama "stressed the importance of the U.S.
and China continuing to vigorously implement the U.N. resolutions and for there
to be demonstrable solidarity between the U.S. and China on this issue because,
absent solidarity, that would provide openings for bad behavior on the part of
the North Koreans."
Obama also warned that any proliferators of nuclear weapons will face consequences.
"I will also host a summit next April that reaffirms each nation's responsibility
to secure nuclear material on its territory and to help those who can't, because
we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent
extremist," he said. "We will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives
that combat nuclear smuggling and theft. All of this must support efforts to
strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations
must face consequences."
Just before his speech to the U.N. assembly, Obama met with Japanese Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama to discuss North Korea and other issues of mutual
concern.
Obama told reporters after the meeting that they "pledged to coordinate very
closely together on a range of international threats -- everything from nuclear
proliferation, the situation in North Korea, how we can help to stabilize
Afghanistan and Pakistan, and how we address transnational issues like climate
change."
Hatoyama said for his part that he highly approves of President Obama's
"leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament."
The Japanese premier did not elaborate, but said in an interview with the
Washington Post that he supports Obama's plans for bilateral talks with North
Korea to revive the six-party talks.
"I very much hope through that process the U.S. will be able to lead us back to
the six-party talks," Hatoyama said. "In that context, I welcome bilateral talks
between the U.S. and North Korea. But we don't want everything to be settled in
the framework of U.S. bilateral talks."
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Chinese Premier Hu also threw
their support for Washington's plans for the one-on-one dialogue with Pyongyang
when they met with their U.S. counterparts earlier this week in New York.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
