GMA offers RP help on North Korea talks

HANOI — President Arroyo has offered to help promote the six-party talks on North Korea’s weapons program and proposed that the meeting be held in the Philippines as a neutral venue.

As the current head of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mrs. Arroyo has also assured US President George W. Bush of the regional bloc’s continued support for the early resumption of the talks.

"The US President noted the statements (on North Korea) made by the President (Mrs. Arroyo) as chair of the ASEAN and the statements were very welcome," Press Secretary Bunye said.

He said that according to Bush, the US has "robust plans" for North Korea.

Trade Secretary Peter Favila said Bush told the ASEAN leaders in a meeting held at the Hanoi International Convention Center that it would be good if they would continue calling on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table with the US, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan.

"He said it would be good if that statement is repeated so that North Korea will sense that it is not only the six nations concerned but the entire region as well," he added.

Bunye and Favila told reporters that Bush also urged the ASEAN leaders to exert more pressure on Myanmar to improve human rights conditions in the country.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio said that during Bush’s 45-minute meeting with ASEAN leaders on the sidelines of the 14th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit, the US president mentioned that ASEAN’s call helped encourage North Korea to consider resuming negotiations.

"We have always been supportive of all the moves to bring about peace and security in the region," Bunye quoted Mrs. Arroyo as saying.

Mrs. Arroyo, as chair of ASEAN, will do everything to advance peace in the region, Bunye added.

Despite a flurry of bilateral talks with key world leaders before heading off to the APEC meeting, Bush kept the pressure on North Korea.

He started his day at a breakfast meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and had a scheduled first one-on-one meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over lunch — evidence that North Korea is at the top of his agenda.

The US, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea are involved in six-party disarmament talks with Pyongyang, aimed at convincing the regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions. — Paolo Romero, AP, AFP