Rice: North Korea Must Return to Nuke Talks Immediately

The Bush administration intends to squeeze North Korea on drug trafficking and counterfeit money operations, activities that are suspected of funding Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear ambitions and which often involve the reclusive state’s diplomats, says a high-ranking U.S. official.

The initiative, which is aimed at forcing North Korea to abandon its nuclear activities, will be on the agenda in coming days as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with top officials in Japan, China and South Korea
North Korea complained that Rice unfairly labeled the country an “outpost of tyranny�? earlier this year and demanded an apology. Rice aims to stay out of arguments that North Korea can use as an excuse for delay.

“Let me put it plainly: North Korea should return to the six-party talks immediately, if it is serious about exploring the path forward that we and the other parties have proposed,” Rice said in a policy speech at a university in Tokyo.

Rice also reiterated that the United States had “no intention of attacking or invading North Korea” and said Washington was prepared to offer “multilateral security assurances to North Korea in the context of ending its nuclear program.”

“Japan has earned its honourable place among the nations of the world by its own effort and by its own character,�? Rice said. “That is why the US unambiguously supports a permanent seat for Japan on the United Nations Security Council.�?

Rice also proposed that Japan and the US cooperate on distribution of international development aid, focusing on countries that accept their own share of responsibility.