Australia Intensively Mediating in DPRK Nuclear Crisis: FM

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 30, 2002

Australia Intensively Mediating in DPRK Nuclear Crisis: FM

Australia was playing an intense diplomatic role in seeking an end to the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in Canberra Sunday.

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Australia was playing an intense diplomatic role in seeking an end to the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in Canberra Sunday.

According to the Australian Associated Press, Downer talked forhalf-an-hour with United States Secretary of State Colin Powell onSaturday night, explaining the Australian stance and hearing details of the US position.

"We are obviously playing a fairly intense diplomatic role at this stage and have been discussing the situation intensely with the Americans and regional partners," he said, adding "We need to make sure we have a coordinated approach as an international community."

After Pyongyang admitted it was engaged in a uranium enrichmentprogram in November, the United States, South Korea and other countries suspended fuel oil shipments to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which last weekend threatened to reactivate its reactor in Yongbyon.

Under a 1994 agreement, DPRK froze its nuclear program in return for Western fuel aid, including lightwater reactors and 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil annually.

Australia last week shelved a plan to open its embassy in Pyongyang. In 2000, the two countries agreed to open an embassy inthe other's capital as a step towards normalizing their relations.The DPRK embassy was opened in Canberra last year.

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