N. Korean foreign minister reiterates will to carry out 6-way accords

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, right, gestures beside from left, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during their courtesy call at the Malacanang palace in Manila on Tuesday July 31, 2007. The ministers are here to attend the ongoing 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 14th ASEAN Regional Forum. (AP Photo/ Aaron Favila)


N. Korean foreign minister reiterates will to carry out 6-way accords
MANILA, July 31 KYODO
North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun reiterated Tuesday that his country intends to carry out its denuclearization commitments in line with agreements made by the six countries involved in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programs, Japanese officials said.
Pak made the remark when he and representatives from the six countries paid a courtesy call on Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Manila on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings. The Philippines is the current rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.



Philippine President Gloria Arroyo(C) poses with foreign ministers (L-R) Russia's Sergey Lavrov, North Korea's Pak Ui-Chun, China's Yang Jiechi, Philippines' Alberto Romulo, Japan's Taro Aso, South Korea's Park In-Sook and US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte at the Malacanang Presidential Palace in Manila. Asian nations piled pressure on Myanmar while China pledged to be a good neighbour, as foreign ministers from across the region met on the eve of high-level security talks.(AFP/Sam Yeh)


ASEAN-plus-3 agree to cooperate on N. Korea denuclearization
MANILA, July 31 KYODO
Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China and South Korea agreed Tuesday to cooperate further in ensuring that North Korea will implement steps to denuclearize while welcoming Pyongyang's positive moves so far, Japanese officials said.
With the meeting in Manila taking place on the heels of the kidnapping of South Koreans by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the ministers also condemned the act and called for the ''immediate and unconditional release'' of the hostages, the officials said.