China said on Thursday that dialogue is conducive to the proper settlement of the Korean Peninsula and Iran nuclear issues, and called on all relevant parties to engage in negotiations to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula and in the Middle East.
Li Baodong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement while addressing an open meeting of the UN Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation.
“To safeguard peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asia region, and promote denuclearization on the peninsula is the common interest and the responsibility of all,” Li said.
“Dialogue and consultations are the only correct way in addressing the peninsula issue,” he said. “We hope that all sides will make an effort to maintain and implement the February 29 common understanding between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”
It is hoped that all sides concerned will maintain calm and restraint, adhere to engagement in dialogue, commit to the Six- Party Talks that promote the denuclearization process, which is in the common interest of maintaining peace and stability of the peninsula and northeast Asia, he said.
China has repeatedly voiced its hope to see an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
The Six-Party Talks, which involve the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, were launched in 2003, but stalled in December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.
On the Iran nuclear issues, Li said, “Commitment to dialogue and negotiations in addressing Iran nuclear issue is of great significance in maintaining stability and peace and avoiding great upheaval in the Middle East region.”
“All sides must maintain the existing common understanding, engage in constructive dialogue, cooperation with great faith, gradually build mutual trust and eventually address the Iran nuclear issue in a comprehensive, just, and appropriate manner,” he said.
The latest Iran nuclear talks concluded in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, with both Iran and the six world powers describing the dialogue as positive and constructive.
The six, the United States, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany, have spearheaded diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to limit its nuclear program, which Iran says is purely peaceful but UN and Western leaders suspect has military purposes.
Xinhua