| Saturday, November 10, 2001, updated at 12:00(GMT+8) |
6th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting Opens |
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The 6th inter-Korean ministerial talks for implementing the historic June 15 north-south joint declaration were opened on Friday at the Mount Kumgang of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK).
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6th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting Opens
The 6th inter-Korean ministerial talks for implementing the historic June 15 north-south joint declaration were opened on Friday at the Mount Kumgang of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK).
The Korean Central News Agency said that Kim Ryong Song, head of the DPRK delegation to the inter-Korean ministerial meeting, made a keynote speech first at the talks which last four days. He said it is the basic spirit of the joint declaration to settle the issue of the country's reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the nation and it is a specially important issue at present to respect and encourage this spirit.
It was in that spirit and from the stand of trusting the south side that the north side has had consultations to resume the ministerial talks and develop cooperation and exchange under the complicated situation around Korea and made every possible effort to implement the points which were agreed upon at the 5th ministerial talks including the exchange of the visiting groups of separated families and relatives and taekwon-do exhibition teams, said Kim.
He said,in spite of such positive stand and efforts on the part of the north side, the south side created an unexpected dangerous situation by seriously provoking its dialogue partner and placing "cooperation"with outside forces above that between compatriots. This made it impossible to implement the points agreed upon by both sides.
Such developments were attributable to the U.S.-toeing policy of the south side. This policy rendered it impossible to implement the points agreed upon at the 5th ministerial talks, he noted.
There is no change in the south side's stand though nearly one year and a half has passed since the adoption of the joint declaration. Regarding the north as its "principal enemy", the south side has taken dangerous military steps and committed provocations against it, straining the situation. Moreover,it is arresting, detaining and persecuting members of pro-reunification movement organizations and patriotic figures on charges of being "elements benefiting the enemy," he said.
A particular mention should be made of the fact that the south side sent its delegation abroad on a mission to ask someone to lead the north to "reform"and "opening". This is an intolerable grave challenge to the north as this behavior totally ignores the joint declaration which calls for recognizing the systems in the north and the south and working for reunification on the basis of the co-existence of the systems and defames the dignity of the north and its system, said Kim.
All these facts compel the north side to express serious worry about the destiny of the joint declaration rather than about the issue of implementing the points agreed upon at the 5th ministerial talks,Kim said.
There is no change in the stand of the north side to respect the joint declaration, implement the agreed points of both sides at a nearly date and settle the issues through dialogue, he said.
The talks were originally slated to open on October 28, but the DPRK postponed it due to "security reasons" resulting from South Korea's heightened security alert after terrorist attack in the United States.
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