Pakistan, Singpapore urges DPRK to return to six-party talks

Pakistan and Singapore have called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to return to the six-party talks to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula.

A Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman, Tasnim Aslam, when answering questions at a weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Monday, said that Pakistan wanted a resumption of the six-party talks to bring a lasting end to the nuclear issue.

She said that Pakistan, as a responsible member of the international community, would abide by the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on imposing sanctions against the DPRK for its recent nuclear test.

Singapore on Sunday also hailed the UN Security Council resolution on the DPRK nuclear test.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that Singapore hopes that the DPRK would pay heed, abandon its nuclear weapons programs and return to the six-party talks without preconditions as this will be in the DPRK's own best interests.

Also on Sunday in a Foreign Ministry statement, South Korea said it would take appropriate measures in line with Resolution 1718, while calling on the DPRK to "abandon all nuclear weapon and nuclear programs and return to the NPT (Non-proliferation Treaty)."

In Bern, capital of Switzerland, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said that it would follow the UN Security Council resolution.

The Swiss authorities would also have to decide whether to break off ongoing political dialogue between Bern and Pyongyang that has seen four rounds of talks over the past three years on international and bilateral issues. The last meeting took place in the Swiss capital in April.

"It's Swiss practice to constantly evaluate any project or program and if necessary adapt it to new circumstances. That would also apply to the political dialogue" between Bern and Pyongyang, the Swiss ministry said.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Swiss ambassador Peter Maurer said that he hoped a solution to the crisis could be found through the six-party talks, which involves the DPRK, South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.

He called on Pyongyang to rejoin the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it left in 2003.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Monday that Australia has decided to introduce a ban on the DPRK's vessels from visiting its ports.

"I think it is appropriate to ban all DPRK vessels from visiting our ports, and I think that will help Australia make a quite clear contribution to the UN sanctions regime," he said.

Resolution 1718, unanimously adopted by the 15-strong body on Saturday, imposes sanctions on the DPRK in areas related to the weapons of mass destruction and demands Pyongyang eliminate all its nuclear weapons and return to six-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear program.

Source: Xinhua