N. Korea defiant despite pressure from U.S., Japan over nuclear issue+

PHUKET, Thailand, July 23 Kyodo -
North Korea blamed Washington for the current standoff over its nuclear program
during an annual regional security dialogue on Thursday, defying calls from the
United States, Japan and other countries for it to return to the stalled
six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang, officials who attended the
gathering said.

North Korea explained its position at an international gathering attended by
officials from all six countries involved in the nuclear talks for the first
time since its second nuclear test in May.
In apparent protest at international pressure over its recent nuclear test and
missile launches, North Korea did not send its foreign minister, Pak Ui Chun,
and instead sent an ambassador-level official.
Adding further pressure, the chair's statement issued on the ASEAN Regional
Forum said the ministers of several countries ''condemned the recent nuclear
test and missile launches'' by North Korea and ''strongly urged'' all U.N.
members to ''commit themselves to fully implement'' a new U.N. Security Council
sanctions resolution adopted in response to the nuclear test.
But North Korea ''totally rejected'' the resolution and told the meeting that
''the ongoing aggravated situation on the Korean Peninsula is the product of
the hostile policy of the United States'' against the country and ''stated that
the six-party talks have already come to an end,'' the statement said.
The six-party talks involve North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the
United States.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told reporters later that North
Korea's remarks ''were far apart from the awareness of the international
society.''
''The atmosphere of the venue indicated that North Korea cannot win support
from other countries with this kind (of position),'' he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a separate news conference
criticized such arguments by North Korea and said that the country has ''no
friends left'' to protect it from moves toward its denuclearization.
As for incentives for North Korea to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, Clinton
said at the forum that the United States will promise a peace treaty, the
restoration of good relations at the six-party talks and the development of
peace on the peninsula, according to senior sources who attended the gathering.
The 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum wrapped up a series of meetings involving
the 10-member ASEAN and its dialogue partners, as well as other countries in
the Asia-Pacific region.
The ARF is the only regional security dialogue forum usually attended by North
Korea's foreign minister, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. It was
established in 1994 to promote dialogue and cooperation on regional security
issues and North Korea became a member in 2000.
Participants in the gathering also discussed the issue of Myanmar, where
pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained, and many expressed hope
over progress on democratization, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry
official.
While encouraging the military government for free and fair elections in 2010,
the foreign ministers called on the government to ''release all those in
detention,'' including Suu Kyi with a view to enabling them to participate in
the elections, the chairman's statement said.
Meanwhile, the ARF adopted a statement outlining the forum's vision through
2020, the Japanese official said.
Under the ''Vision Statement,'' the forum, in order to achieve its goal of
enhancing the regional security environment, reaffirmed its three-step
evolutionary approach -- starting with the promotion of confidence building and
moving toward preventive diplomacy before eventually developing
conflict-resolution mechanisms.
How to cooperate in dealing with large-scale disasters was also an important
issue that was discussed in the forum, given the cyclone devastation in Myanmar
and the deadly earthquake in China's Sichuan province, both of which occurred
last year.
Indonesia expressed its willingness to host an ARF disaster exercise and Japan
offered to cooperate on co-hosting the event, the official said. The first such
Voluntary Demonstration of Response was held in the Philippines in May during
which more than 500 personnel participated.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They form the ARF together with
Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, the
United States, the European Union and others.
==Kyodo