Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Declaration by North Korea to Withdraw from the NPT

"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)

Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Statement by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Declaration by North Korea to Withdraw from the NPT

[Place]

[Date] January 10, 2003

[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

[Notes]

[Full text]

1. Today, North Korea declared its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It is extremely regrettable that North Korea has made such a decision despite the request of the international community made by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Board of Governors and the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG), and Japan is gravely concerned about the situation.

2. Japan is also seriously concerned from the viewpoint of maintaining the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

3. Japan will strongly urge North Korea to immediately retract its decision and take prompt action to dismantle its nuclear development programs. To this end, Japan will closely coordinate with the United States and the Republic of Korea and cooperate with other concerned countries and the IAEA.

4. Japan intends to cooperate closely with the aforementioned countries and calmly and carefully examine future measures for a peaceful solution of this issue.

(END)