U.N. Resolution on North Korea Result of Multilateral Effort
16 July 2006
Rice says measure shows North Korea's isolation, urges return to Six-Party Talks
St. Petersburg, Russia -- U.N. Security Council Resolution 1695, adopted unanimously July 15 to condemn North Korea's recent missile launches, is a "remarkable resolution" that results from efforts to deal with the issue of North Korea's weapons program on a multilateral basis, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.
In a July 16 press conference, Rice said Resolution 1695 "really shows that the efforts that we've been making over the last couple of years to have Six-Party Talks ... [are] really paying off, because we really now have a coalition."
In an appearance on Fox News Sunday the same day, Rice noted that the resolution was the first on North Korea that the United Nations has issued since 1993.
"This is a very strong resolution. It is binding on member states. And it says to the North Koreans: you're isolated, come back to the Six-Party Talks," she said. (See related article.)
In press conference remarks, Rice praised China's affirmative vote on the measure, saying the government of President Hu Jintao has shown "responsibility." President Bush met with President Hu in between working sessions of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit July 16, during which time Bush thanked the Chinese leader for his leadership on the resolution.
China is a participant in the Six-Party Talks with North Korea, along with South Korea, Russia, Japan and the United States. In a joint press appearance with Bush July 16, President Hu said his country would continue to consult with the United States on regional and international issues, and that both sides "agreed to continue their efforts to move forward the Six-Party Talks, so that at the end of the day, the entire Korean Peninsula could be denuclearized in [a] peaceful way through dialogue and in negotiations."
Rice said the Six-Party Talks "are the vehicle now that the international community is using to deal with North Korea," and added that "ultimately North Korea will have no choice but to return to the talks and pursue denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
In her interview on Fox News Sunday, the secretary noted the United States is also engaged in other activities outside the Security Council to ensure North Korea does not pose a security threat, including checking for illicit activities by North Korea through financial measures and denying North Korea certain kinds of materials through the Proliferation Security Initiative.
She added that "North Korea of course is not confused about the security balance on the Korean Peninsula," citing the "strong deterrent force there" and the strength of U.S. alliances with Japan and South Korea.
The secretary said during her press conference that she is not surprised by The North Korean government's rejection of the Security Council resolution, but she said that in order to keep from being even more isolated from the international community or facing additional global pressure, North Korea will have to return to the Six-Party Talks.
"That's really the only game in town," she said.
For more information on U.S. policies, see The U.S. and the Korean Peninsula and Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
A transcript of the Bush-Hu press appearance is available on the White House Web site.
A press release from the United Nations condemning North Korea's missile launches and transcripts of Rice's press briefing and her interview on Fox News Sunday are available on the State Department Web site.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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