The South Korean government welcomed a joint statement adopted earlier Monday at the end of the fourth-round six-party talks aimed to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

 

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun welcomed the joint statement as "epoch-making" one, which made "principles" for the ending of the nuclear issue.

 

Roh also expressed appreciation especially for the efforts of host China that helped bring the breakthrough in the long-time efforts to resolve the nuclear issue, according to a news release issued by the South Korean Presidential Office Monday afternoon.

 

"The adoption of the joint statement in the fourth round of six-party talks heralded a crucial chance to resolve the North Korea's nuclear issue, " the release quoted Roh as saying.

 

The release also expressed the will that the joint statement can provide momentum in stabilizing the Korean Peninsula.

 

Earlier Monday, China, the US, Russia, Japan, North and South Korea adopted the joint statement in Beijing, in which North Korea promised to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.

 

The statement says North Korea is committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning, at an early date, to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

 

China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US stated their willingness to provide energy assistance to North Korea. South Korea reaffirmed its proposal of July 12, 2005 concerning the provision of 2 million kilowatts of electric power to the North.

 

The statement says the six parties agreed to take coordinated steps to implement their consensus in a phased manner in line with the principle of "commitment for action."

 

Meanwhile, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also praised the agreement as "the accomplishment of South Korean diplomacy."

 

Chung, who also doubles the head of the South Korean National Security Council, said his government's electricity offer played a key role in reaching the agreement in the six-party talks.

 

South Korea in July proposed to provide 2 million kilowatts of electricity to the North independently, beginning in 2008, in exchange for Pyongyang's abandonment of its nuclear program.

 

The fourth round of six-party talks was held in Beijing in two phases, from July 26 to August 7 and from September 13 to 19 respectively.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2005)