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SKorea's Roh says six-party deal could lead to peace pact
AFP
SEOUL
Petroleumworld.com 02 14 06South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun says the six-nation deal on North Korea's nuclear programme could lead to a permanent peace agreement on the Korean peninsula.
Roh, in comments released Wednesday, said he expects smooth implementation of the agreement reached in Beijing under which the North agreed to disable its nuclear facilities in return for fuel oil.
"What is quite important in the agreements, aside from the settlement of North Korea's nuclear issue, is the phrase that says talks should start to discuss a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula," he said during a state visit to Spain.
"Furthermore, the agreements call for talks aimed at establishing a multilateral security cooperation system in northeast Asia and this has a wide scope," Roh said, according to a presidential statement.
The agreement calls for participants to hold a ministerial meeting not only to confirm the implementation of measures toward dismantling North Korea's nuclear programme but to "explore ways and means for promoting security cooperation in northeast Asia."
It says the six countries will make joint efforts for "lasting peace and stability in northeast Asia" and "negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula" at an appropriate separate forum.
Roh made his comments at a meeting Tuesday with South Koreans living in Spain.
"When a multilateral security cooperation system is in place in the northeast Asian region, it will put South Korea's geopolitical position at the nerve centre," he said.
"If a permanent peace system is negotiated and concluded, there will be no non-economic hurdles to South Korea's ascent to the top of the global credit rating ladder."
International ratings agency Standard and Poor's said Tuesday, before the Beijing talks wound up, that "clear evidence of North Korea's commitment to nuclear disarmament" was a prerequisite to improving South Korea's ratings.
Roh said the six-party agreement was very specific and substantial.
"All parties of the six-nation talks faithfully produced the agreements. Thus I expect that the agreements will be smoothly enforced in the future," he added.
South and North Korea separately announced Wednesday they plan to resume ministerial talks suspended since last July, with Seoul saying a resumption of aid to Pyongyang would be on the agenda.The two nations remain technically at war, since the 1950-53 conflict was ended by an armistice and not a peace treaty.
The United States, which fought for the South against North Korea and China, has raised the prospect of signing a peace treaty if a final deal with the North is reached.
AFP 14 0412 GMT 02 07
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