North Korea gets help from Switzerland
2013-02-12 16:10
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Geneva - Switzerland said on Tuesday it was ready to
assist diplomatic efforts to end North Korea's nuclear programme after
condemning the isolated nation's latest nuclear test.
"This test violates UN Security Council resolutions,
represents a threat to peace and security in the region and goes against the
efforts of the international community in terms of nuclear
non-proliferation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
But it added: "Switzerland is convinced that a way
out of the Korean peninsula’s nuclear and security problem can only be found
within the framework of a process of diplomatic negotiation."
The ministry said Bern supported ongoing six-party talks
on denuclearisation involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US.
Switzerland is "ready to respond to any request that
could contribute to the efforts to promote stability and peace on the Korean
peninsula", it said.
North Korea has a special link to Switzerland - the
communist nation's leader Kim Jong-Un attended secondary school near Bern,
without revealing his true identity.