Press Release No. 162-03
10 April 2003

SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD DISCUSS DPRK NUCLEAR ISSUE; BUT REGIONAL STATES WITH DIRECT STAKES SHOULD EXERT OWN DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS - OPLE

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today welcomed the decision of the Security Council to hold talks on the issue of the nuclear weapons of the UN Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPK).  However, Secretary Ople said that it would still be preferable for states with a direct stake in the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula to exert diplomatic efforts to bridge the differences that divide the main parties involved.

The Secretary made this statement as the Security Council prepared to meet Wednesday, 9 April 2003 (New York time) to discuss the issue of the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program.  The issue was referred to the Security Council last February by the Executive Board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  The Philippines is a member of the Executive Board and supported efforts to convince the DPRK to allow inspections of its nuclear facility.

“The DPRK should fully realize that the UN and the entire world hope that the DPRK will abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions.  At the same time, I hope that the DPRK will also realize that there are many countries in the region who have a stake in the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the entire region who would like to share with the DPRK their strong desire for peace and their willingness to help promote peaceful dialogue,” Secretary Ople said.

The Secretary added that he had met with the Minister Paek Nam-sun, DPRK’s Foreign Minister during the NAM Summit in Kuala Lumpur last February and that he had conveyed to Minister Paek the sentiments of the Philippines on this matter.  The Secretary said that the Foreign Minister invited him to visit the DPRK and that he had accepted. He said that exploring possible avenues in resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue would certainly be on his agenda when he visits.

“I continue to support the possibility that the Chair of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), together with some interested members of the ARF, can form a contact group that can meet and convey to the DPRK the deep concerns of the countries in the region and our desire to play any helpful part in addressing the issues at hand,” the Secretary said. END.