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Backgrounder: Stances of Six Parties to Korean Peninsula Nuclear Issue

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Backgrounder: Stances of six parties to Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The fourth round of six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is to resume on Tuesday. Concerned parties still have gap to narrow after shuttle contacts during the recess for more than a month.

Latest stances of all six parties on the nuclear issue are as follows:

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK):

-- The DPRK never waives its right to conduct peaceful nuclear activities.

-- The DPRK's peaceful nuclear activities constitute a key economic sector which should be further developed as the economy makes progress and the material and cultural demand of the people increases.

-- It is the DPRK's strategic decision to abandon nuclear weapons, and the country has rights to develop peaceful nuclear programs. The DPRK regard peaceful nuclear activities as one of the independent rights of the country. They are also an exercise of a legitimate right enshrined by international law.

-- If the US really wants to make substantial progress in the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue, it had better make up its mind to change its policy of demanding the DPRK to totally give up all nuclear activities including the use of nuclear energy for a peaceful purpose. The DPRK can neither make any compromise nor accept this unilateral and high-handed demand.

The United States:

-- The DPRK should dismantle peaceful and all other nuclear programs.

-- Rejecting Pyongyang's demand for its unconditional right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the United States is not going to allow a situation where weapons grade plutonium is allowed to sit around.

-- The United States has not changed its position of getting the DPRK to dismantle its nuclear weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

-- Pyongyang's demand for a civilian reactor is considered as a theoretical and downstream matter that is not a major stumbling block.

The Republic of Korea (ROK):

-- If the DPRK scraps the nuclear weapon program, returns to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), accepts inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the DPRK could be allowed to develop peaceful nuclear program.

-- The DPRK deserves the right to have a nuclear program for peaceful operation, such as activities for agricultural, medical and power-generating purposes. However, the DPRK should not possess uranium-enrichment or plutonium-reprocessing facilities and graphite- moderated reactors which experts say produce greater amounts of plutonium, the key material for nuclear bombs.

-- The DPRK's peaceful nuclear program may include power generation by using light-water reactors, but the construction work of the uncompleted two light-water reactors in Shinpo, South Hamkyong Province in the DPRK should not be resumed.

-- The ROK has already offered to supply its northern neighbour with large supplies of electricity if it renounces nuclear weapons.

Russia:

-- The DPRK has the right to develop its civilian nuclear capacity and can expect cooperation with other countries if it returns to the NPT.

-- As a sovereign state, the DPRK can develop its peaceful nuclear program in keeping with international law.

Japan:

It's reported that Japan and the United States would not accept the DPRK's demand for peaceful use of nuclear energy, if the DPRK fails to meet the following three preconditions:

-- Give up nuclear programs;

-- Return to the NPT; and

-- Regain international trust.

Japan and the United States, as reported, still continue their basic stances of demanding the DPRK to give up all its nuclear programs, but leave certain room for the possibility of allowing the DPRK to use nuclear energy peacefully.

China:

-- The peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue concerns the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula as well as northeast Asia.

-- China is always supportive in a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, resolve questions peacefully through dialogue and address reasonable concerns of parties concerned.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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