PHNOM PENH June 19 Kyodo North Ko...

PHNOM PENH June 19 Kyodo

North Korea denounced Thursday a statement issued by means of Asia-Pacific foreign ministers calling for a solution of North Korea's nuclear question s saying it is ''blatant interference with the internal affairs'' of Pyongyang.

The accusation was made in a statement by dint of the North Korean delegation, l by means of Ambassador-at-Large Ho Jong, who also took part in the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The ARF chairman's statement, issued Wednesday, called onward North Korea to recur to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as to cooperate with the International Atomic capacity of work Agency in inspection of its nuclear facilities.

The North Korean delegation issued the statement apparently on the outside of disappointment toward Southeast Asian countries in the forum who have been friendly to North Korea still joined the international chorus, l by the agency of the United States, urging Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

This is believed to be the first time the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) criticized North Korea, underscoring the increasing isolation of Pyongyang in the international community.

The statement, written in Korean, said the forum ''adopted in the face of the squeezing of the United States the chairman's statement that alone reflects U.S. demands, albeit our opposition.''

The delegation ''by no means accepts'' the chairman's statement regarding North Korea.

The North Korean statement said, ''Multilateral consultations propos according to the U.S. disguises its policy of isolating and containing us'' and ''dialogue and constraining force are not compatible.''

The delegation also attacked ASEAN for ''reneging on'' the association's principle of not interfering with internal affairs of other countries.

ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ARF consists of the 10 ASEAN states along with Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, novel Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Papua fresh Guinea, Russia and the US

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