Korean ministers to discuss nuclear issue in Jakarta<\/p>\n
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Seoul<\/p>\n
South Korean Foreign Minister Ki Moon-ban said here Thursday
\nthat he hoped to meet his North Korean counterpart during the
\nupcoming ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Jakarta to discuss
\nthe nuclear issue.<\/p>\n
"I am willing to meet him (North Korean Foreign Minister) in
\nJakarta, if he is also willing to meet with me.<\/p>\n
"It is not yet decided. But in 2003, when the foreign minister
\nof North Korea attended the ARF meeting, we had a South and North
\nKorean foreign ministers' meeting. Based on this, we hope to have
\na South Korean-North Korean foreign ministers' meeting," Ki told
\nThe Jakarta Post in Seoul on the sidelines of an international
\nconference.<\/p>\n
Minister Ki delivered his keynote speech during the two-day
\nconference in which he admitted that the resolution of the North
\nKorean nuclear issue remained the most pressing task for his
\ngovernment. The conference's theme was "Democracy in Asia, Europe
\nand the World: Toward a Universal Definition."<\/p>\n
The minister's comment came as South and North Korean
\ndelegations kicked off separate rounds of military and economic
\ntalks on Thursday aimed at easing tensions on the world's last
\nCold War frontier between North and South Korea.<\/p>\n
Ki said the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue was a
\nprocess that would require a great deal of patience and serious
\ndiscussion.<\/p>\n
"We must convince North Korea that the pursuit of nuclear
\nprograms will in no way enhance North Korea's security and that
\nthe only way for North Korea to secure economic prosperity is by
\ngiving up its nuclear programs," Ki said in his speech.<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia, according to Ki, had an important role to play
\nin maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>\n
Though two-rounds of six-party talks were held in Beijing in
\nFebruary, no substantial progress has been made on the nuclear
\nissue except that those involved agreed to meet again by the end
\nof this month.<\/p>\n
Ki acknowledged that the ARF had served as a forum which
\nallowed the discussion of the region's problems, including the
\nNorth Korean nuclear issue.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda visited
\nPyongyang and Seoul recently to persuade North Korean Foreign
\nMinister Paeng Nam-sam to attend the ARF meeting in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is the current chairman of both the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ARF.<\/p>\n
It is widely expected that the South and North Korean foreign
\nministers will discuss the nuclear question and other security
\nissues on the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>\n
Ki also said that there was a need to establish a regional
\ngrouping in Northeast Asia like the European Union (EU) in
\nEurope.<\/p>\n
We have high hopes that a union of peace and prosperity
\nmodeled on the European Union can be realized in Northeast Asia
\nin the not-so-distant future. In Europe, we see the future of
\nEast Asia, Ki told the participants at the conference.<\/p>\n
The conference, which was opened on Thursday and is being
\nattended by 30 scholars from Asia and Europe as well as 50 local
\nacademics, is jointly organized by the Singapore-based Asia-
\nEurope Foundation (ASEF) and the Korean Association of
\nInternational Studies (KAIS).<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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