• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

19 September 1997

TEXT: EU JOINS KOREAN PENINSULA ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

(Accession shows U.S.-EU partnership in global security) (380)
Washington -- The State Department welcomed the accession of the
European Union to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
(KEDO), noting that the accession "was a key priority under the
U.S.-EU New Transatlantic Agenda."
In a press release September 19, State Department Spokesman James
Rubin also said that the EU's accession to KEDO "is an important
example of the U.S. partnership with the EU in responding to global
security threats.
He said the United States "looks forward to working together with the
EU as a member of KEDO's Executive Board and welcomes the political
and financial support that the EU will bring to the organization."
Following is the text of the State Department press release:
(Begin text)
EUROPEAN UNION JOINS KEDO
The European Union, represented by the European Atomic Energy
Community (EURATOM), today formally became a member of the Executive
Board of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO),
joining the organization's current Executive Board members, the U.S.,
Japan, and the Republic of Korea. KEDO is charged with implementing
key provisions of the 1994 U.S.-DPRK Agreed Framework, under which the
DPRK agreed to freeze its nuclear program in exchange for two
proliferation-resistant light-water reactors.
The EU's accession to KEDO was a key priority under the U.S.-EU New
Transatlantic Agenda and is an important example of the U.S.
partnership with the EU in responding to global security threats. EU
membership in KEDO also sends a strong signal of European support for
KEDO and its activities. As a demonstration of this support, the EU
has pledged to provide 15 million ECU annually to KEDO for the next
five years. The U.S. looks forward to working together with the EU as
a member of KEDO's Executive Board and welcomes the political and
financial support that the EU will bring to the organization.
Last month in North Korea, KEDO broke ground on the light-water
reactor project, marking an important milestone in our efforts, in
cooperation with our KEDO partners, to denuclearize the Korean
peninsula, contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia, and
strengthen the international non-proliferation regime.
(End text)