Asia-Pacific

S Korea to hold next nuclear summit; DPRK welcomed

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-14 00:19

WASHINGTON: President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday said he would welcome the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to participate in the next nuclear security summit if "substantive results" are achieved at the six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

"We hope that would happen," Lee said.

The next nuclear security summit is to be held in the ROK in 2012.

"If we can achieve substantive results" through the six-party talks, "of course we would be welcoming North Korea to take part in subsequent meetings," Lee said.

Speaking through an interpreter, Lee noted that the DPRK wasn't invited to attend the Washington summit, and urged Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks, saying he hopes that the DPRK "will display their sincere and genuine commitment to return to the six- party talks this year or next year, so that we could resolve this issue peacefully."

Lee was participating in the Washington summit aimed at securing loose nuclear materials in four years. He stressed the importance of preventing nuclear materials and nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists.

After kicking off the summit on Monday, heads of state and government participating in it are conducting two plenary sessions on Tuesday. The summit will end later in the day.