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SLUG: 2-298089 IAEA NORKOR (L-O)
DATE: NOTE NUMBER: |
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DATE=1/6/03 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=I-A-E-A / NORTH KOREA (L-O) NUMBER=2-298089 BYLINE=MELANIE SULLY DATELINE=VIENNA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The International Atomic Energy Agency is giving North Korea one last chance to allow international supervision of its nuclear program. Melanie Sully has more from Vienna, headquarters of the U-N agency. TEXT: The 35-members of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors passed a unanimous resolution strongly condemning North Korea's refusal to cooperate with the international community. The agency left the door open for North Korea to allow inspectors to return and monitor the reactivation of its nuclear facility at Yongbyon. The director general of the I-A-E-A, Mohamed ElBaradei, said "compliance and not defiance" was the message to Pyongyang. But Mr. ElBaradei stressed that the international community is willing to work with North Korea. /// ELBARADEI ACT /// North Korea has first to fulfill its international obligations, particularly with regard to safeguard agreements, and once they do then there is light at the end of the tunnel for them. There were many statements by the board, by many neighboring countries - Japan, South Korea, the U-S - all are ready to engage the D-P-R-K in co-operation agreements with regard to its economic needs and security needs - but only when the D-P-R-K takes the first step and comes into compliance and not defiance. /// END ACT /// The I-A-E-A chief is hoping for a positive response from North Korea within the next few days. If North Korea fails to respond, the board of governors will meet again and is expected to refer the case to the U-N Security Council. At the end of December, North Korea expelled I-A-E-A inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear plant, leaving the agency, as Mr. ElBaradei put it, "clueless" about the country's nuclear program. (SIGNED) NEB/MS/KL/RAE |
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