SECRETARY-GENERAL 'EXTREMELY CONCERNED' BY REPORTS OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT
PROGRAMME IN DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General is extremely concerned by the reported existence in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of a programme to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, as announced by the United States State Department, following the recent DPRK-United States discussions in Pyongyang.� If confirmed, the alleged programme would not be in conformity with the DPRK’s international obligations, including under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).� It would also be contrary to international efforts to reduce and eliminate weapons of mass destruction.
The Secretary-General welcomes the consultations that have already begun among interested countries -- issues related to weapons of mass destruction must be accorded highest priority.
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