ID :
20273
Sat, 09/20/2008 - 09:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/20273
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea says restoring nuclear complex, does not wish delisting
PYONGYANG/BEIJING, Sept. 19 Kyodo - North Korea said Friday it has begun restoring its main nuclear complex to counter a U.S. decision to delay its removal from Washington's list of terrorist sponsors, and that it no longer has a desire to be taken off the blacklist.
In comments to the official Korean Central News Agency, a Foreign Ministry
spokesman also repeated the country's rejection of a U.S. demand to set up a
regime meeting international standards to check its nuclear information.
''Work has been under way to restore'' the Yongbyon nuclear complex from ''some
time ago'' to counter a U.S. decision to delay the delisting, the spokesman
said.
North Korea stopped disablement work at the nuclear complex in mid-August.
While it began moving equipment earlier this month to restore the facilities,
Friday's comments were the first official announcement on the activities made
through the state media.
The remarks -- the first on the nuclear issue since reports of North Korean
leader Kim Jong Il's health setback -- may have been timed for the third
anniversary of a landmark six-party statement.
In the Sept. 19, 2005 statement, North Korea agreed to abandon all its nuclear
programs and rejoin an international nuclear treaty in exchange for energy aid
and security affirmation.
It was the first breakthrough in the multilateral process launched in August
2003 by the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
On Friday, the spokesman repeated North Korea's criticism of the United States,
which has said that it will not delist Pyongyang as a sponsor of terrorism
until a strict regime is established to verify its nuclear information.
''It is sophism totally distorting the agreements so far reached,'' the
spokesman said, arguing that a mechanism for verifying and monitoring was
something that should be established to check the obligations of all
participants of the process at a further phase.
The U.S. decision to put the delisting on hold until there is an agreement on
the verification regime ''glaringly reveals its true intention to step up its
hostile policy toward the DPRK,'' the spokesman said.
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.
''Now that the U.S. true colors are brought to light, the DPRK neither wishes
to be delisted as a 'state sponsor of terrorism' nor expects such a thing to
happen,'' the spokesman said.
''It will go its own way.''
In comments to the official Korean Central News Agency, a Foreign Ministry
spokesman also repeated the country's rejection of a U.S. demand to set up a
regime meeting international standards to check its nuclear information.
''Work has been under way to restore'' the Yongbyon nuclear complex from ''some
time ago'' to counter a U.S. decision to delay the delisting, the spokesman
said.
North Korea stopped disablement work at the nuclear complex in mid-August.
While it began moving equipment earlier this month to restore the facilities,
Friday's comments were the first official announcement on the activities made
through the state media.
The remarks -- the first on the nuclear issue since reports of North Korean
leader Kim Jong Il's health setback -- may have been timed for the third
anniversary of a landmark six-party statement.
In the Sept. 19, 2005 statement, North Korea agreed to abandon all its nuclear
programs and rejoin an international nuclear treaty in exchange for energy aid
and security affirmation.
It was the first breakthrough in the multilateral process launched in August
2003 by the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
On Friday, the spokesman repeated North Korea's criticism of the United States,
which has said that it will not delist Pyongyang as a sponsor of terrorism
until a strict regime is established to verify its nuclear information.
''It is sophism totally distorting the agreements so far reached,'' the
spokesman said, arguing that a mechanism for verifying and monitoring was
something that should be established to check the obligations of all
participants of the process at a further phase.
The U.S. decision to put the delisting on hold until there is an agreement on
the verification regime ''glaringly reveals its true intention to step up its
hostile policy toward the DPRK,'' the spokesman said.
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.
''Now that the U.S. true colors are brought to light, the DPRK neither wishes
to be delisted as a 'state sponsor of terrorism' nor expects such a thing to
happen,'' the spokesman said.
''It will go its own way.''
