Powell Urges Southeast Asian Nations to End N. Korea Nuclear Crisis
VOA News
18 Jun 2003, 08:20 UTC
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has called on Southeast Asian countries to join Washington in pressing North Korea to agree to multi-lateral talks aimed at scrapping Pyongyang's nuclear program.
Mr. Powell told foreign ministers at the ASEAN Security Forum in Cambodia Wednesday that the help of other nations is necessary to find a diplomatic solution to the North Korea crisis.
Mr. Powell says he still believes a diplomatic solution is possible, but warns the situation remains dangerous.
The ASEAN Regional Forum brings together the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with 13 partner countries, including the United States, Australia, Russia and Canada.
Earlier, North Korea again rejected U.S. calls for multi-lateral talks. North Korean state-run media also said Pyongyang will never accept what it called U.S. pressure to scrap its nuclear program.
North Korea has insisted on holding bilateral discussions with the United States. It reluctantly agreed to three-way talks with the United States and China in April, but has otherwise consistently opposed multi-lateral discussions.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue says the best way to solve the North Korea crisis is to continue talks between Beijing, Washington and Pyongyang.
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