KYOTO, Japan - Foreign ministers from wealthy nations including Canada welcomed North Korea's long-awaited declaration of its nuclear capabilities but warned Friday there remains a long way to go before the isolated Stalinist state can rejoin the international community.

The North Korean declaration was the core topic as the Group of Eight ministers met Friday morning for their second and final day of talks aimed at setting the political agenda for the annual G-8 summit next month.

Also on the table were Iran's nuclear program, the presidential runoff elections in Zimbabwe and the Mideast peace process.

Pyongyang on Thursday handed over a declaration of its nuclear programs and activities. Washington immediately responded by saying it will lift some trade sanctions and move to take Pyongyang off its terrorism blacklist.

The G-8 ministers, however, stressed the declaration was just one step in what will be a long and difficult verification process.

"There is a long road ahead," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, noting that although the declaration covered thousands of pages, it did not clear up questions about North Korea's enrichment of uranium and other concerns.

"We know North Korea has a record of not living up to its obligations," she said, stressing the need for full verification.

On Thursday, Canada's newly-appointed Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson said he welcomed North Korea's declaration , calling the move "a matter of strategic interest to Canada." He urged the North Korean government to proceed with its denuclearization plans.

The chief negotiators from the six-party talks on North Korea, which include Japan, will seek some answers as they meet in Beijing, possibly as early as Monday, to discuss specifics on how the North's declaration will be verified.

Japan is especially cautious because it feels the North Korean nuclear threat directly - Tokyo and the rest of the country is well within range of North Korea's ballistic missiles.

Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said he would have preferred a broader declaration from Pyongyang, particularly regarding its nuclear stockpile.

Japan also is concerned that pressure must be maintained toward resolving questions over North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s.

North Korea has admitted kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens, presumably to train spies in Japanese language and culture. Pyongyang released five of them in 2002, saying the remaining eight had died, but Japan is demanding proof of the deaths and an investigation into other suspected abductions.

"The abduction issue is not only Japan's problem, but it is also a humanitarian and human rights issue that the entire international community shares," Komura said.

The ministers also criticized the situation in Zimbabwe, where a one-candidate runoff presidential election has been marred by violence and intimidation by supporters of President Robert Mugabe.

"We deplore the actions of the Zimbabwean authorities - systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation - which have made a free and fair presidential runoff election impossible," they said in a joint statement.

The ministers said they would not accept any result that did not reflect the "will of the people."

"This kind of sham could not possibly produce a legitimate outcome," Rice said.

On Iran, the ministers agreed on the need for both "dialogue and pressure" to get Tehran to abandon its uranium enrichment program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but the U.S. and others fear it could be used to produce nuclear weapons.

The European Union froze the assets this week of Iran's largest bank over Tehran's refusal to back off uranium enrichment, which Washington and its allies worry could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran has yet to formally respond to a package of trade and economic incentives to make a deal. The offers were made June 14 by the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany.

On other topics, the ministers from the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Russia and Canada said they would step up efforts to stabilize Afghanistan's lawless frontier and called on the government of Hamid Karzai to do more to shore up itself against corruption.

In a joint statement, the ministers urged countries bordering Afghanistan - including Pakistan and Iran - to also help Kabul.

The statement came after Pakistan's new government vowed to prevent attacks on Afghanistan but insisted foreign forces would not be allowed to operate on Pakistani soil.

G-8 foreign ministers also pledged to continue aid for reconstruction in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar, but called on the ruling junta to improve transparency in its receipt of international help.

LIKE IT?  LET OTHERS KNOW

Thanks for participating!

Be the first to recommend - Sign in now


See what other people are recommending - Popular Stories