Sunday, October 08, 2006 Arroyo urges North Korea to stop from conducting nuclear tests
THE Philippine Government on Saturday aired "grave concern" over reports that North Korea is planning to test nuclear devices, and urged it to abandon its nuclear weapons and programs.
In a statement, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the Philippine Government "views with grave concern" the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea's (DPRK) recent announcement it will test nuclear devices.
"We join the international community in urging the DPRK to refrain from conducting the nuclear tests and we support the resolution of this issue within the ambit of the Six-Party talks," Arroyo said.
She said the DPRK is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum and has a "shared stake" in ensuring peace and security in the region.
Arroyo also said the Philippine Government believes the concerns of all parties may be resolved "through constructive dialogue and diplomacy."
"We urge the DPRK to abide by the commitment to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs as expressed in the Six-Party Talks Joint Statement of Sep. 19, 2005," she said.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo issued a similar statement airing deep concern, and "join(ed) the international community in urging the DPRK to refrain from taking such action and instead return to the negotiating table, resume the Six Party Talks and abide by the joint statement on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
"We strongly believe that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is crucial to the region's peace, security and economic development. Nuclear tests would compromise this and run counter to the confidence-building efforts of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF)," he said.
He added that the DPRK as an ARF member has an equal stake in en
suring that peace and security in the region is maintained. (JMR/Sunnex)
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