US Not to Escalate Crisis over DPRK Nuclear Issues: Powell

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 25, 2002

US Not to Escalate Crisis over DPRK Nuclear Issues: Powell

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that the United States does not seek to escalate the crisis over the nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

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US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that the United States does not seek to escalate the crisis over the nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In a telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Tuesday morning, Powell "reiterated what we have said before -- that we are not anxious to escalate this problem but we are not going to be blackmailed," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.

"If North Korea is looking for US support this is not the way to do it," the spokesman added.

DPRK confirmed Sunday that it had "immediately started removingthe seals and monitoring cameras from the frozen nuclear facilities for their normal operation to produce electricity."

Announcing the decision, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reiterated that the DPRK's move was a follow-up to the suspension of heavy oil supply by the United States, and it accused the United States of "escalating international pressure" on the DPRK in settling the nuclear issue.

The decision was made after the United States decided on Nov. 14 to suspend heavy oil supply to the DPRK as a sanction over its uranium enrichment program in violation of the Agreed Framework reached by the two sides in 1994.

Under the Agreed Framework, the DPRK was to stop its nuclear facilities in return for two light water reactors and 500,000 tonsof heavy oil a year from the United States.

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