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APEC Leaders Focus on NK Nuke Talks

2003-10-22

BANGKOK - Leaders attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which wrapped up its two-day summit session on Tuesday joined forces in pressuring the reclusive North Korea to the negotiating table at an early date.

Although the nuclear issue was not tapped as a major agenda, the leaders, most notably U.S. President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, were busy drumming up support from other Asian nations in their bid to bring the North back to the dialogue format.

The nuclear issue grabbed further attention at the APEC forum since the North test-fired a short-range, surface-to-ship missile into the waters separating the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Against this backdrop, the security issue dominated other economic agenda at the 21-member APEC forum, drawing some complaints from countries with less interest.

After arriving in Singapore, Bush continued to round up support for his proposal on North Korea that the U.S. would provide written guarantee within the six-party context should the North relinquish its nuclear ambition.

In a speech on behalf of President Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Collin Powell on Monday called on the APEC leaders to help it tackle the North Korean nuclear standoff.

Noting the U.S. was considering new measures to persuade the North to discontinue its nuclear development, he stressed security was an essential part of trade and economic growth.

Sources here said that with the presence of U.S. President Bush, the APEC session has been dominated by anti-terrorism and security issues.

Hu and Bush focused on the North Korean nuclear issue during their summit on Sunday, agreeing that the resumption of the six-way talks is the only and best alternative in resolving the nuclear standoff.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, with his nation most vulnerable to a possible North Korean attack, was nervous in persuading other APEC member nations on the need to induce North Korea to the dialogue table.

While agreeing on the need to press the communist North to the six-way talks, Japan circulated a draft statement calling for the linking of the North Korean nuclear issue to the North's abduction of its citizens.

But Japan's attempt fell through in the face of strong opposition from China which asserted that such an issue should be dealt with only between Japan and North Korea.

Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, the APEC leaders called for the need to resolve the crisis peacefully through regional cooperation.

During a speech before the final day's summit session, Roh called on the Asian and Pacific leaders to join forces in dispelling the global terrorist threat and to speed up economic reform in Asian markets.

He also called for the promotion of regional security and the need to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff peacefully as a precondition to stabilize security in the area.

He also urged efforts to put an end to the circulation of hedge funds, which he claimed caused the financial crisis in the Asian region.

Source : www.korea.net