OBAMA SEEKS M'SIA'S HELP FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE KOREAN PENINSULA

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) -- United States President Barack Obama has
sought the help of Malaysia towards ensuring a nuclear-free Korean peninsula
following nuclear proliferation by North Korea.

Obama made this known to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak when he
telephoned Najib Friday night.

Following his 20-minute conversation with Obama, Najib told Bernama that
Obama briefed him on the steps that had been and were being taken by Washington
to free the peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Najib said he told Obama Kuala Lumpur's stand was the same and that
Pyongyang should not be in possession of nuclear weapons as this would heighten
tensions in the Korean peninsula as well as cause regional instability.

Malaysia, he said, had expressed concern on the latest developments in the
Korean peninsula and had condemned the underground nuclear tests carried out by
North Korea recently, as this posed a challenge towards the preservation of
peace in the region and the world.

Malaysia, along with other countries, is also consistent in its views that
the North Korea nuclear programme should be resolved through six-party
negotiations involving North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the
United States.

Najib said he agreed to Obama's request on the possibility that Malaysia
take part in the provisional reconstruction process of Afghanistan.

However, Najib stressed that this was in the pursuit of peace to pave the
way for the reconstruction of Afghanistan that had been ravaged by war and
internal conflicts for more than 30 years.

He said the measure was aimed at achieving a lasting peace without the
involvement of military engagement.

"He (Obama) is aware that we have vast experience in fighting an insurgency
by communists. He would be happy if Malaysia will join forces in whatever
endeavour deemed suitable," added Najib.

He said Obama also asked Malaysia to play a role in helping open dialogue
and engagement on a wider scale between the United States and Iran as Kuala
Lumpur and Teheran have been having good ties for a long time.

He said Obama expressed the hope that Iran would not embark on a nuclear
weapons programme and that all United Nations resolutions on Iran and North
Korea could be enforced.

Washington cut diplomatic ties with Iran on April 7, 1980 after 52 of its
diplomatic staff at the US embassy in Teheran were held hostage in November 1979
in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution.

Since then the two countries have been at loggerheads which became worse
after Iran started pursuing a nuclear programme for energy purposes.

This led to the United Sttes and some European countries to impose sanctions
on Iran as they believed the programme was a cover to develop nuclear weapons.

-- BERNAMA