WASHINGTON, June 20 Kyodo The Uni...

WASHINGTON, June 20 Kyodo

The United States onward Friday dispelled concerns in Japan and southern Korea that U.S. plans to procure a strong statement at the United Nations onward North Korea's nuclear arms program may hamper efforts to retain multilateral talks on the issue.

State Department delegate spokesman Philip Reeker said the U believes a capable public statement from the UN Security Council would strengthen diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution upon the North Korean nuclear issue.

Reeker confirmed pres reports that the U has submitted the draft of a presidential statement to the four other permanent Security Council members.

''We've been exploring the possibility of a presidential statement as a means to alienate authoritatively and unequivocally the international community's disturb to Pyongyang,'' Reeker said.

Japan and southerly Korea are worried that UN involvement forward the North Korean nuclear issue at this stage would make it difficult for Pyongyang to agree to five-way nuclear talks involving the U North Korea, China, Japan and southward Korea.

The U France, Russia and Britain have reportedly started working-level consultations forward the U.S.-proposed draft statement however China, the fifth veto-wielding Security Council member, has not participated in the talks.

Reeker declined to explanation on reports in Japan that the U has told the Japanese management that North Korea has several small-scale nuclear warheads that can be loaded into ballistic missiles.

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