Nations welcome DPRK cooling tower demolition

Nations in six-party talks welcome DPRK cooling tower demolition
WATCH VIDEO
Source: CCTV.com | 06-28-2008 09:01
Some nations involved in the six-party talks have welcomed the DPRK's demolition of the cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. But some warn there is still more to be done.

The United States said the DPRK has taken "a good step" by blowing up the cooling tower, but implied the DPRK shouldn't rest on its laurels.


U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is
seen before the working session of the G8
Foreign Ministers Meeting at the guesthouse
in Kyoto western Japan Friday June 27, 2008.
The United States said the DPRK has taken
"a good step" by blowing up the cooling tower,
but implied the DPRK shouldn't rest on its
laurels.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)


Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, said, "That will not be the end of the story. We also must deal with proliferation, we must deal with highly enriched uranium, we must verifiably end all of North Korea's programme."
A spokesman for South Korean president Lee Myung-bak said the demolition of the tower is a first step toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.But he added that the DPRK still has a long way to go to achieve that task.


Lee Dong-kwan, South Korean presidential spokesman.(CCTV.com)


Lee Dong-kwan, South Korean presidential spokesman, said, "We accept that the destruction of the cooling tower politically and symbolically shows the DPRK's intent for future denuclearisation."

Moscow welcomed the destruction of the tower, saying it's one of the first real measures aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of ridding the Korean Peninsula of all nuclear weapons.

Japan was pleased with the development, but said it still holds diplomatic cards that can be used in future nuclear negotiations with the DPRK.

G8 foreign ministers meeting in Kyoto, Japan also welcomed the move, but warned there is still much to do before Pyongyang can rejoin the international community.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• North
• Korea
• Nuclear