Tracking Number: 353721
Title: "Lord Sees North Korean Nuclear Issue as Paramount." Speaking before reporters at the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State Winston Lord declared that the Clinton
administration views the North Korean nuclear issue as its chief security concern in Asia. (940720)
Author: MALAMUD, PAUL (USIA STAFF WRITER)
Date: 19940720
Text:
LORD SEES NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR
ISSUE AS PARAMOUNT
(Says it will be topic at ASEAN meetings) (700)
By Paul Malamud
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs Winston Lord says the "Korean nuclear issue" is the chief
international security concern in Asia in the view of the Clinton
administration.
Lord told journalists at the State Department July 20 that events on the Korean peninsula are of both global and regional interest because they affect "the general issue of stability in the world and nuclear weapons." He said Korea will be among the major "security and economic issues" to be aired at meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok next week.
Lord also recalled that ASEAN Forum participants "for the first time" will be joined in security discussions by representatives from Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and Papua, New Guinea.
Asked when the U.S.-North Korean direct talks in Geneva will resume, Lord said he expects "contact within the next couple of days," now that the funeral for President Kim II Sung is over.
Lord told reporters "the North Koreans have been in continual touch with us over the last couple of weeks to assure us that they will continue the policy of Kim Il Sung, that they want to resume the third round" of bilateral talks with the United States perhaps in "a few weeks at the most."
He noted that the Clinton administration will "continue to consult particularly with South Korea and Japan about our approach" to these talks" -- as well as keep "China and Russia, in particular, and the British and French and others closely informed."
The goal of U.S. diplomacy with North Korea, Lord said, will be "to try to have a broad and thorough resolution of the nuclear problem in exchange for engaging the North Koreans more diplomatically and economically in the global community."
Asked whether he expects North Korea to freeze its nuclear program, Lord emphasized that the U.S. government planned to enter into the third round of bilateral negotiations "on the firm assumption, which the North Koreans corroborated, that their program would be frozen."
Lord emphasized that "We are assuming of course that they understand that to resume these talks, they will have to continue (the freeze), and there's no indication to the contrary. That means," he explained, "no reloading of the reactor, that means no reprocessing, and that means the continual activities and presence of the IAEA inspectors. So that will have to continue as we talk."
A second problem of course is, he said, "the more fundamental resolution of the nuclear problem" and "there...we hope to fulfill our overall objectives of their...formal adherence again to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), full IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspections, and the implementation of the North-South denuclearization agreement."
Regarding Kim's successor, Lord commented that "anybody" who "gives you flat assurances...of what's happening in North Korea" should be distrusted because "it's a very opaque society." However, he said, "Having said that, every sign is that (his son) Kim Jong Il is consolidating his position."
Questioned about a slowing of direct contacts between North and South Korea following Kim's death, Lord pointed out "that over the years one North Korean objective has been to create some division between us and our South Korean allies and to emphasize their direct contacts with us. We have always resisted that....We think the North-South axis is fundamental, and we will not be doing anything in Geneva that would intrude on subjects that ought to be discussed in that channel."
Turning to ASEAN regional security, Lord explained that the U.S. approach "is based on our alliances and our forward military presence." He said the U.S. goal is "preventive diplomacy to head off problems before they arise."
He said the Bangkok meetings "will be followed by two days of meetings of the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference" to discuss security and economic issues.
Lord will be accompanied by Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott because Secretary of State Christopher must be in Washington for the"historic meeting" of President Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan's King Hussein.
NNNN
File Identification: 07/20/94, POL305; 07/20/94, EUR315; 07/20/94, NEA308; 07/21/94, AEF406; 07/21/94, NAA405
Product Name: Wireless File
Product Code: WF
Languages: Arabic
Keywords: KOREA (NORTH)-US RELATIONS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION; KOREA (NORTH)/Defense & Military; LORD, WINSTON; ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN);
NEGOTIATIONS; INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY; INSPEC
Thematic Codes: 1EA
Target Areas: EU; NE; AF
PDQ Text Link: 353721
USIA Notes: *94072005.POL
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