WASHINGTON—North Korea handed over its long-delayed account of its nuclear activities to China Thursday. Following are some initial reactions to the news:
Joseph Biden, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: br> "North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programs and activities is a step toward the goal of verifiably eliminating the North's nuclear weapons and related facilities, but a lot of tough work lies ahead."
Japanese Government Spokesman: br> "What is important are the detailed contents of the declaration itself. The verification process is, of course, very important."
Lee Dong-Bok, Senior Associate at CSIS in Seoul and Expert on North Korea's Negotiating Tactics: br> "The six-party process has crossed another milestone without breaking down. But the declaration doesn't mean anything other than one of the milestones has been crossed. This is going to open the way for the resumption to the next round of the six-party talks."
"The declaration is not likely to include nuclear weapons and other key elements of the North Korean nuclear program. We are going to see North Korea use these things as leverage going forward. We are at a new starting point."
John Bolton, American Enterprise Institute, Former Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security: br> "This is an agreement that almost entirely benefits North Korea. They've gained enormous international political legitimacy and prestige by starting down the path toward being taken off the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism while giving up essentially nothing in return."
Derek Mitchell, Asia Expert At The Center For Strategic And International Studies In Washington: br> "There are several dangers: If we are not careful on verification, we get into a bad deal and cut so many corners that we perpetuate the notion that we need an agreement more than they do."
Victor Cha, Director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University and Former U.S. Deputy Head of Delegation to the Six Party Talks: br> "The agreement has teeth. Any belief that the DPRK can merely submit the nuclear declaration, win political rewards, and avoid any verification process would be badly mistaken."
Baek Seung-Joo, Expert on North Korea's Military at Korea Institute of Defense Analyses: br> "The completion of this step also means there has been considerable confidence formed and accumulated between North Korea and the United States, which gives reason to be more optimistic about the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue."
Tom Byrne, Senior Vice President, Moody's Singapore: br> "Yes, they should (help ease security concerns) provided that North Korea is seriously committed to nuclear disarmament and that concerns that the U.S. government has over a suspected dual track, uranium nuclear weapons program are allayed.
"Despite apparent progress, definitive answers to those questions have not been revealed by the six party process yet."
Lee Chung-Min, Professor of International Relations at Yonsei University in Seoul: br> "My take on this is that since this particular declaration has not included nuclear weapons or the exact number of warheads they have, that is a key concern. The other thing is whether or not the North Koreans have stopped work on the uranium enrichment program and how far that has gone.
"Unless those two issues are verified, I think the third step towards complete dismantlement is still quite far off. The key issue here is of course verification and what type of an inspection regime the North Koreans agree to.
"Once we come down to the nitty gritty of inspections, they will basically try to prolong the process as long as possible, without giving up nuclear weapons."
Feeds