AUSTRALIA WELCOMES THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA'S DECLARATION ON NUCLEAR  NON-PROLIFERATION

Australia warmly welcomed the Republic of Korea's declaration that it would only use  nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and not possess nuclear fuel reprocessing and  enrichment facilities, the Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Senator Gareth Evans, said  today.

Senator Evans said the Australian Government supported the declaration by ROK  President Roh Tae Woo on his Government's policy on nuclear, chemical and biological  weapons.

"It is a wide-ranging and bold declaration which makes a major contribution to peace and  stability on the Korean peninsula, an area of important strategic and economic interest to  Australia," Senator Evans said.

President Roh's announcement on Friday confirms the ROK's policy of using nuclear  energy solely for peaceful purposes.

President Roh stated his Government would continue opening all South Korea's nuclear  facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in compliance with  its Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards obligations.

President Roh has ruled out the acquisition and use of chemical and biological weapons by  the ROK as well.

Senator Evans welcomed especially President Roh's statement that the ROK would not  possess, store, manufacture, deploy or use nuclear weapons and not possess sensitive fuel  cycle technology.

This contrasted with North Korea's program to acquire a nuclear reprocessing capability  and its continuing refusal to allow international inspection of its facilities under the NPT.

Senator Evans said the ROK announcement removed all grounds for further delay by North  Korea in fulfilling its unconditional international obligations under the NPT to accept  international safeguards.

He said President Roh's statement followed President Bush's recent unilateral decision to  withdraw all short/ange tactical weapons on a global basis.

"Given these two historic statements, I call on North Korea to respond positively to these  initiatives by taking corresponding measures in the nuclear, chemical and biological  weapons fields," he said.

Senator Evans underlined in strong terms last week to a visiting senior official of the North  Korean ruling communist party that North Korea needed to implement without delay its  obligations as an NPT party which it had failed, so far, to do.

COMMONW EALTH Ã¢ÂÂ¢  j

PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY "  MICAH

