Non-proliferation efforts in North Korea

New Zealand willing to contribute to energy assistance package for North Korea

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Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that Non-proliferation efforts in North Korea.

"The energy assistance package we would contribute to is part of the Initial Actions Agreement (IAA) which was negotiated at the February session of the Six Party Talks. That agreement also includes specific commitments by North Korea to denuclearise", Helen Clark said.

"The recent agreement represents a significant step in the right direction. If North Korea genuinely commits to implementing its part of the deal, New Zealand is willing to contribute to the second tranche of the energy assistance package. The first tranche is relatively small and likely to be met by parties to the Six Party Talks.

"Matters relating to the process for making contributions and to the form they take, will be decided within the Initial Actions Agreement Energy Working Group. New Zealand will be liaising with others about the substance and timing of our contribution.

"It is clear that the IAA will involve a lot of hard work if it is to be successful. We encourage North Korea to co-operate fully in this process and hope that it will lead to an improvement in North Korea's relations with the international community.

"We welcome the effort which all the Six Party Talks members are putting in to finding a solution to the nuclear issue, and the undertaking the United States and North Korea are making to begin bilateral talks and move toward full diplomatic relations.

"The Six Party Talks between North Korea, the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia concluded the IAA on 13 February. In return for specific denuclearisation commitments by North Korea, the other parties agreed in the Initial Actions Agreement to provide North Korea with 50,000 tons of heavy oil emergency energy assistance within 60 days, and the equivalent of 950,000 tons in a second phase as North Korea carries out its commitments.

"New Zealand has long supported efforts to find a solution to the North Korea nuclear issue. Between 1995 and 2002 New Zealand contributed $4.5 million to the Korean Peninsula Energy Organisation (KEDO) as part of international efforts to try to bring peace and security to the Korean Peninsula.

"New Zealand established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 2001, but North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes have inhibited the development of the relationship, Helen Clark said.

ENDS

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