Geneva, Jan 21: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today urged North Korea to reconsider its decision to pull out of a key international treaty preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and to return to dialogue.
In a message to the opening session of the UN's Conference on Disarmament, Annan said the 66-nation body should focus on the issue of compliance with existing
disarmament treaties.
North Korea's recent withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) raised "serious concerns," Annan said in the message.
"I regret this development and I strongly urge, once again, the democratic People's Republic of Korea to reconsider its decision," he said.
"The only viable solution to this latest setback for disarmament and non-proliferation is through peaceful means, dialogue, and a spirit of mutual interest," Annan said.
The NPT was concluded in 1970 after negotiations at the disarmament conference in Geneva.
North Korea announced earlier this month that it was pulling out of the NPT after reactivating its frozen nuclear programme amid growing tension with the United States.
Bureau Report
