Vietnam, the Philippines and Bulgaria have expressed welcome to
the joint document issued at the end of the six-party talks in
Beijing on Tuesday.
In Vietnam, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said Vietnam
hopes that "the parties will strictly implement the deals reached,
and satisfactorily deal with the nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in
Northeast Asia and the world."
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the agreement
was a "good start" toward full stabilization of the area.
Bulgaria also hailed the document, saying it provides specific
steps towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The
Bulgarian Foreign Ministry hopes the fulfillment of the document,
saying it will be an important step in building lasting peace and
security on the Korean Peninsula and the whole Northeast Asia.
The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper said in its editorial on
Wednesday that the joint document should be the first step toward
the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Major newspaper Asahi Shimbun also welcomed the
agreement, saying if North Korea is moving toward denuclearization,
Japan should also play an active role in the process.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said that China, which
hosted the six-party talks, contributed a lot to the meeting and
the agreement. China's coordination during the talks had helped the
passage of the joint document, the paper said.
The six-party talks, involving China, the US, Russia, Japan,
North and South Korea ended in Beijing on Tuesday with a joint
statement on the first step toward the denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula.
Under the document, North Korea will shut down and seal the
Yongbyon nuclear facility, including the reprocessing facility, and
invite International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to
return to monitor and verify their actions.
The parties agreed to the provision of emergency energy
assistance to North Korea in the initial phase, and assistance
equivalent to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil will commence within 60
days, according to the document.
The next round of the six-party talks is scheduled to be held in
Beijing on March 19.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2007)
