Statement by Ambassador Mitsuru Kitano at the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting starting on 5 March 2018: Agenda Item 5: Application of safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
2018/3/7
Thank you, Madam Chair.
At the outset, Japan reiterates its grave concern about the ongoing nuclear and missile-related activities of North Korea in violation of relevant United Nations Security Council and IAEA resolutions. Let me emphasize this: North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses unprecedented, grave and imminent threat against our national security. It seriously undermines the peace and security of the region as well as the international community.
While North Korea is pursuing inter-Korean dialogue, the fact remains that it is persistently engaged in its nuclear and missile development, and we should not avert our eyes from this fact. There will be no stability of the international community without denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. There should be no dialogue unless it is premised on complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. North Korea has taken no action for denuclearization to date, and therefore, it is essential that we firmly maintain the policy of enhancing pressure to the maximum level, including through full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Madam Chair,
Japan once again strongly urges North Korea to sincerely take the unequivocal warnings and condemnation repeatedly expressed by the international community. We also urge North Korea to comply fully with the series of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Japan further urges North Korea to take concrete steps toward denuclearization without delay. In particular, North Korea is required to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, including uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Also, North Korea must immediately cease all related activities, retract its announcement of withdrawal from the NPT, and act strictly in accordance with its IAEA Safeguards Agreement.
Madam Chair,
In view of the current situation surrounding North Korea, Japan highly appreciates the Secretariat’s work to enhance the Agency’s readiness to return to verification in North Korea, which has been carried out within its mandate. The IAEA is the international organization that will assume a critical and central role of verifying North Korea’s nuclear programme, when steps for denuclearization are taken. Japan is prepared to provide support to meet the initial costs for human resource and equipment needs, in the event that a political agreement is reached among the countries concerned and the IAEA resumes its activities in North Korea. Our strong commitment was conveyed to the IAEA when Foreign Minister Kono met with Director General Amano last month. Japan will continue to support relevant activities of the Agency, including those aimed at ensuring swift implementation of initial actions.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
At the outset, Japan reiterates its grave concern about the ongoing nuclear and missile-related activities of North Korea in violation of relevant United Nations Security Council and IAEA resolutions. Let me emphasize this: North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses unprecedented, grave and imminent threat against our national security. It seriously undermines the peace and security of the region as well as the international community.
While North Korea is pursuing inter-Korean dialogue, the fact remains that it is persistently engaged in its nuclear and missile development, and we should not avert our eyes from this fact. There will be no stability of the international community without denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. There should be no dialogue unless it is premised on complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. North Korea has taken no action for denuclearization to date, and therefore, it is essential that we firmly maintain the policy of enhancing pressure to the maximum level, including through full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Madam Chair,
Japan once again strongly urges North Korea to sincerely take the unequivocal warnings and condemnation repeatedly expressed by the international community. We also urge North Korea to comply fully with the series of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Japan further urges North Korea to take concrete steps toward denuclearization without delay. In particular, North Korea is required to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, including uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Also, North Korea must immediately cease all related activities, retract its announcement of withdrawal from the NPT, and act strictly in accordance with its IAEA Safeguards Agreement.
Madam Chair,
In view of the current situation surrounding North Korea, Japan highly appreciates the Secretariat’s work to enhance the Agency’s readiness to return to verification in North Korea, which has been carried out within its mandate. The IAEA is the international organization that will assume a critical and central role of verifying North Korea’s nuclear programme, when steps for denuclearization are taken. Japan is prepared to provide support to meet the initial costs for human resource and equipment needs, in the event that a political agreement is reached among the countries concerned and the IAEA resumes its activities in North Korea. Our strong commitment was conveyed to the IAEA when Foreign Minister Kono met with Director General Amano last month. Japan will continue to support relevant activities of the Agency, including those aimed at ensuring swift implementation of initial actions.
Thank you, Madam Chair.