Regional security high on APEC forum agenda<\/p>\n
SEOUL (AFP): Asia-Pacific leaders will discuss post-Cold War
\nregional security and the North Korean nuclear issue when they
\nhold separate one-on-one talks at the APEC forum next week,
\nofficials here said.<\/p>\n
President Kim Young-sam will meet with U.S. President Bill
\nClinton, Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, Chinese
\nPresident Jiang Zemin and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien
\non the sidelines during their stay in Indonesia for the APEC
\nleadership meeting scheduled for Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"Beside bilateral economic cooperation, post-Cold War regional
\nsecurity and issues related to North Korea's nuclear program will
\ndominate the agenda,\" a presidential aide said.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time that the South Korean president has
\nmet with any of the four leaders since the signing of a landmark
\nagreement in Geneva last month, which called for freezing North
\nKorea's suspect nuclear program.<\/p>\n
Kim is now on a visit to Manila on the first leg of a 10-day
\ntrip, which will also take him to the APEC forum and on to
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
The South Korean president will propose the formation of a
\nregional security consultative body comprising the two Koreas,
\nthe United States, China, Japan and eventually Russia under a
\n\"two-plus-four\" format, local press reports said.<\/p>\n
He will also offer to invite North Korea to join the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum on security, which was formed last July, on
\ncondition that the North fulfills the Geneva agreement, the
\nreports said.<\/p>\n
In a speech here on Wednesday, Secretary of State Warren
\nChristopher expressed US support for activating such a regional
\nsecurity forum.<\/p>\n
\"The end of the Cold War means that we and our allies can now
\nwork with China and Russia to resolve common security concerns in
\nthe Pacific. That is why we are encouraging new regional security
\ndialogues among past and potential adversaries,\" Christopher
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"In this respect, we welcome the inauguration of the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The separate meetings on the APEC sidelines will also focus on
\nfollow-up steps to the Geneva accord, including two modern light-
\nwater reactors the United States promised to the North in return
\nfor neutralizing its nuclear program.<\/p>\n
Dialog<\/p>\n
Kim will call for cooperation in persuading North Korea to
\nresume dialog with the South to discuss two pending issues -- the
\nreplacement of the Korean armistice with a peace treaty and the
\nreactor assistance.<\/p>\n
With regard to the improvement of ties with Pyongyang, Kim
\nwill call on the United States and Japan to move on a parallel
\ncourse with progress in inter-Korean dialogue and the North's
\nmaking good on the nuclear deal.<\/p>\n
Clinton and Kim are expected to reaffirm that despite the
\nnuclear deal, the 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea
\nshould stay because of continuing threats from the North's
\nconventional forces, the aide said.<\/p>\n
During his meeting with Murayama, Kim is expected to call for
\nJapan to actively take part in bankrolling the reactor assistance
\nand the supply of supplementary energy to the North until the new
\nreactors are in place.<\/p>\n
When he meets with Jiang, Kim will thank China for its
\nintermediary role in resolving the nuclear crisis and call for
\ncooperation in talking the North into reopening inter-Korean
\ndialog.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regional-security-high-on-apec-forum-agenda-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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