PRESS RELEASE
Department of Foreign Affairs
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                *             Tel. No. 834-4000               *              www.dfa.gov.ph
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No. 280-03;  06 June 2003
PHILIPPINES TO ENGAGE DPRK AND ROK IN EFFORT TO HELP
BRING PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople, who was in the Republic of Korea last month on an official visit and who was with the President for her State Visit on 2-4 June 2003, today said that he has had intensive discussions with the officials of the Republic of Korea on the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and that he is now ready to visit the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea to convey the desire of the Philippines to see a peaceful, stable and non-nuclear Korean peninsula.

“We continue to have an important stake in the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.  The President is personally committed to committing our foreign policy towards the achievement of a stable Korean peninsula.  I intend to use dialogue and diplomacy and join all efforts to decrease tensions and to encourage peaceful dialogue,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary said that one important step that should be taken is to remove the static in the lines of communication between the DPRK and the US.  “There has been too much rhetoric going back and forth.  There is a need to highlight the interests of the other stakeholders.  These are matters that I hope to address when I visit the DPRK,” he added.

DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun personally invited Secretary Ople to visit the DPRK when they had a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the Summit Meeting of the Non-Aligned Summit last February.  “I intend to take up this invitation and to hold discussions on how best to bring peace and stability to the Korean peninsula,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary added that the Philippines will actively pursue the idea of giving ASEAN a bigger role in helping ease tensions in the Korean peninsula, possibly through a resolution.  He said that he will bring this matter up during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Related Meetings in Phnom Penh on 12-19 June 2003.  END.