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12th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks Open

KCNA

    Pyongyang, October 15 (KCNA) -- The 12th North-South Ministerial Talks were opened in Pyongyang on Wednesday. Present there from the north side were members of the delegation led by Kim Ryong Song, chief councilor of the DPRK Cabinet, and suite members and from the south side members of the delegation with Jong Se Hyon, minister of Unification, as chief delegate and suite members.
    Keynote speeches were made by the heads of both sides at the talks.
    The head of the north side said that non-governmental organizations in the north and the south have made significant progress in opening the era of "By our nation itself" under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration since the 11th inter-Korean ministerial talks.
    He recalled that in the period some persons in the south malignantly slandered the north and defamed even its dignified system.
    Terming this rowdyism a dangerous provocation quite contrary to the basic spirit of the June 15 joint declaration and the main requirements of the north-south agreement that calls for recognizing the system of other party and respecting it, he strongly demanded the authorities of the south side properly understand the gravity of the issue and take responsible measures to fundamentally settle the situation.
    Inter-Korean economic cooperation for the uniform development of the national economy is not making progress despite the agreement of both sides and the humanitarian issue between the north and the south is not properly solved to meet the requirements of the joint declaration, he said. This is ascribable to the insincere attitude and stand of the south side.
    Clarifying the principled stand of the north side on the implementation of the joint declaration on the basis of the review made of it since the 11th inter-Korean ministerial talks, he proposed as follows as regards the matters to be urgently settled:
    First. Urgent measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of acts of fundamentally denying the system of the other party and slandering it and defaming and destroying the foundation of inter-Korean relations.
    Second. Effective cooperation should be promoted for the uniform development of the national economy.
    Third. The humanitarian issue should be settled as early as possible as required by Article 3 of the June 15 joint declaration.
    Pointing to the issues to be settled at the inter-Korean negotiations at an early date, the head of the north side advanced its proposal to be agreed upon at the current talks.
    He underscored the need to increase the responsibility and role of the ministerial talks in order to reach a good agreement for the implementation of the joint declaration and put it into practice.
    The talks continue.