China hopes all parties fulfill commitment made at six-party talks

All parties will seriously fulfil their commitments made at the six-party talks, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in Beijing Tuesday.

The six-party talks ended here Monday with a joint statement adopted.

"I believe all parties will take responsible attitude towards the earnest fulfillment of their commitments so as to realize denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula and northeast Asian region as a whole," Qin said.

The negotiators from China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan issued the joint statement Monday, establishing a frame for a package solution to the nuclear issue.

But one day after the joint statement was issued, the DPRK vowed on Tuesday that it would return to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) only after the United States provides it with light water reactors (LWRs) for generating power.

"We will return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and sign the Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA and comply with it immediately upon the US provision of LWRs, a basis of confidence-building, to us," a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Tuesday it was unacceptable for the DPRK's demand, Kyodo News reported.

"I don't think the DPRK side has any misunderstanding on the joint statement," said Qin. "As to the problems, concerns or interests, we need to solve them gradually in the process of six-party talks."

In the joint statement, the DPRK says it has the right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Other parties have expressed their respect and agreed to discuss, at an appropriate time, the subject of the provision of lightwater reactor to the DPRK.

"The six parties need further consultations on what the appropriate time is," said Qin, adding that there are still many problems ahead, which are not insurmountable though.

"This is just a general frame," Qin said, referring to the joint statement. "We hope all parties could continue to push forward the six-party talks in the spirit of mutual respect and equal consultations."

Source: Xinhua