N Korea: US opts for diplomacy

2006-07-06 20:01

Washington - President George W Bush said on Thursday that the United States was seeking a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea, but cautioned that diplomacy would take time.

Bush said he was pleased that leaders of China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, in telephone calls during the past few days, had agreed that the reclusive communist regime should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

"My message was that we want to solve this problem diplomatically, and the best way to solve this problem diplomatically is for all of us to be working in concert," Bush said.

Bush said the nations' message was: "We expect you to adhere to international norms. We expect you to keep your word."

He said it was important that the international community spoke with one voice.

"Diplomacy takes a while," he said, "We're spending time, diplomatically, making sure that our voice is unified."

At the United Nations, there were differences over a Japanese-backed draft resolution to sanction North Korea.

US ambassador John Bolton said the measure had "broad and deep support", but Russia's deputy UN ambassador told The Associated Press that Moscow would not back sanctions, as the resolution called for.

Instead, Russia wanted the council to pass a non-binding presidential statement with the goal of getting North Korea back into six-party talks on its nuclear programme.

- AP