Seoul, Oct 19: North Korea today said that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok was not the place to discuss the standoff over its nuclear weapons programs. The comments by the north's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper came as US President George W Bush and 20 other world leaders arrived in Thailand for the two-day Apec meeting. Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and its standoff with the international community promised to be a major topic.
Even before the formal summit began, Bush made headlines today by saying he had no intention of invading North Korea, but he ruled out signing a non-aggression treaty to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons programs.
Rodong Sinmun said the multilateral summit meeting was the wrong venue for talks on the issue, saying "the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is an issue to be resolved between us and the United States."
The newspaper's comments were carried by KCNA, the north's Official news agency, and monitored by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
North Korea has long argued that the nuclear dispute is an issue only between it and Washington. It says it will give up its nuclear programs only if the United States signs a non-aggression treaty and establishes diplomatic relations.
Bureau Report