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US willing to give no-invasion assurances to N Korea: Powell
Washington, Oct 19: US is prepared to give no-invasion assurances to North Korea short of a formal treaty or non-aggression pact in return for its abandoning its nuclear weapons programme under verification.
Washington, Oct 19: US is prepared to give no-invasion assurances to North Korea short of a formal treaty or non-aggression pact in return for its abandoning its nuclear weapons programme under verification.
President Bush has repeatedly said that the US has no intention of invading or attacking North Korea and that the US wanted to find ways to help North Korea in its economic distress, Secretary of State Colin Powell told a private TV channel from Bangkok.
Powell said that Bush had meetings with President Hu of China and said Hu we are anxious to move forward within the six-party framework (US, North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia) to have additional dialogue with the other parties, inlcuding North Korea, and find ways to provide North Korea the kind of security assurances they are looking in return for their abandoning their programme."
Powell said that the US is not interested in a treaty or non-aggression pact but there are other models of security assurances and agreements that have been entered into over the years that could "give us some basis to work on and explore ideas."
The US, said Powell, is very thankful for the role the Chinese have been playing.
Asked whether the UN resolution on Iraq would bring large amounts of money and large numbers of troops, Powell said that what it does is to enable those who wanted to come forward but could not in the absence of such a resolution, to do so now.
Bureau Report
Powell said that Bush had meetings with President Hu of China and said Hu we are anxious to move forward within the six-party framework (US, North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia) to have additional dialogue with the other parties, inlcuding North Korea, and find ways to provide North Korea the kind of security assurances they are looking in return for their abandoning their programme."
Powell said that the US is not interested in a treaty or non-aggression pact but there are other models of security assurances and agreements that have been entered into over the years that could "give us some basis to work on and explore ideas."
The US, said Powell, is very thankful for the role the Chinese have been playing.
Asked whether the UN resolution on Iraq would bring large amounts of money and large numbers of troops, Powell said that what it does is to enable those who wanted to come forward but could not in the absence of such a resolution, to do so now.
Bureau Report