US wants international community to close ranks on North Korea

Wed, 26 Jan 2011

Seoul - US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg called Wednesday for a strong international stand against North Korea's nuclear program.

"It's very important that the international community send a strong message that the uranium-enrichment program, indeed any uranium-enrichment program, by North Korea would be inconsistent with its international obligations, with [UN] Security Council resolutions and with its own commitments," Steinberg said on a visit to Seoul, where he held talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung Kwan.

He said North Korea should have no doubts about the stance of other countries, especially after the concern expressed last week about Pyongyang's enrichment program at a meeting in Washington between US President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China, North Korea's only major ally.

"I think the strong position that we have all taken and I think the clear message coming out of the summit between President Obama and President Hu should help drive that message home," Steinberg said.

Highly enriched uranium can be used to produce nuclear weapons, and concerns about North Korea's enrichment program have been heightened since November when Pyongyang showed a visiting US scientist a previously unknown, sophisticated enrichment complex.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364298,close-ranks-north-korea.html.